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But what is the care like for the victims? And why have the numbers increased? Courtney Menzies visited the KHMH to get insight from both the medical professionals and the survivors. Here is part one of her story.

Liston Emmanuel, Motorcycle Accident Victim
"I was coming from Hopkins and me and my friends and some other people were coming on our cycle and I was at the front we were going, taking our time because we knew we had to get home but a car that the past news said was broken down was on our side going home but no hazard and I ended up close to the car and I noticed that I was too close so I tried to swerve away from it and I hit it and like that I lost my foot."

Jesse August, Motorcycle Accident Victim
"This was, on April 10th. I was, just about to leave, well, actually, I had, just left work. well, the day before my birthday, actually, I was coming down, Douglas Jones Street and, a careless driver, I must say, he tried to overtake me, and just before reaching the intersection of New Road and Douglas Jones and, upon, taking, left, he clipped me because he saw the next vehicle coming in, he clipped me and, I lost control of the cycle, and I ended up against a wall, by Thrift City. At that time, I had suffered a broken collarbone as you noticed. I was down until the ambulance came for me."

Voice of: Motorcycle Accident Victim
"It happened because a man was coming out of Coastal. He didn't look towards me around the roundabout and crashed into me."

"I already know that I had a broken leg, that was the only injury."

Courtney Menzies:
"And so you've been here for three months recovering the leg?"

Voice of: Motorcycle Accident Victim
"Yes ma'am."

Courtney Menzies:
"Did they tell you why you'd have to be in here so long?"

Voice of: Motorcycle Accident Victim
"I'm in here so long off of the infection that I caught."

Those are testimonies of three recent survivors of motorcycle accidents recovering at the KHMH. But it's just a fraction of the number of patients they've seen this year alone.

So far in 2024, 27 of the 65 road traffic fatalities have involved motorcycles.

And many of those who survive end up in the care of Physical Therapist Noel Avila. He said the number and frequency of victims has increased:

Noel Avila, Physical Therapist
"We've seen a lot. I think we've seen an increase in the last couple of months because I don't know, the way people drive, I guess. And I think, people on motorcycles, too. I mean, me as a driver, we see people doing all sorts of things, overtaking when the right, left. So they subject themselves to certain accidents."

"I can't remember a week where we don't have somebody that needs some sort of rehabilitation concerning that type of thing."

And Avila says the types of injuries he sees can range from a simple fracture to amputation, and can even eventually result in a loss of life.

Noel Avila, Physical Therapist
"We have fractures that people, would have fractures that the doctor couldn't really figure out how to save the legs. So we have people with amputees, below the knee or above the knee. we've had people who have died with fractures that, for a long time can't heal properly. A lot of times a doctor would recommend that we do just stimulation to help bone hardening. And sometimes during that process, people develop other, other issues because of, you know, things that might happen along the way based on their own personal health."

For 21-year-old Liston Emmanuel, who lives in Sarawee Village, he has lost over 10 family members to motorcycle accidents. And after his accident, this footballer knew that amputation was the only way to save his life.

Liston Emmanuel, Motorcycle Accident Victim
"Too much muscle tissue was missing and the chance to have my leg, I already knew was not worth it so I just decided to lose it."

"To be honest, it was God who set it that way so I know friends, young friends whose minds are not strong would feel like I would give up on myself but I can't because I'm young and I already know what I want to do next for myself."

And despite losing his leg, his dream of owning a car hasn't changed. But for the other two survivors, they plan on getting back on their bike.

In the case of Jesse August, while he survived without amputation, he almost lost his life during recovery because he was thrown into depression:

Jesse August, Motorcycle Accident Victim
"I haven't said this, to anyone yet. Only my closest friend. I had thought of suicide, actually, believe it or not. I mean, I'm a very active person. I tend to play for football at least three or four times for the week. I love to fish, but, I mean, as an active person, and you're not able to do the things that you want to do. I mean, at home, being by myself, just the four walls, you know? It has been tough, it has been really tough. But, since the therapy, you know, along with help of friends, you know, those trying to, like, distract my mind. I've been able to get through that."

Courtney Menzies:
"So despite this accident, you're still prepared to go back on a motorcycle?"

Jesse August, Motorcycle Accident Victim
"My wife doesn't want me to go back on a cycle, but, of course, I mean, as a man, I mean, I would love to get a cycle back again."

And while Avila said that the rate of returning motorcycle drivers who get into a second accident is low, there's always a new patient. Alleshia Pollard, who manages the general surgical ward at KHMH, explained that it's taken up a lot of their resources since about half of their beds are filled with accident victims.

Courtney Menzies:
"Has there ever been a time, maybe in the past couple of years, that this ward has not had a motorcycle victim?"

Alleshia Pollard, Unit Manager, General Surgical Ward, KHMH
"I cannot recall, I cannot recall, and we are ward that holds 28 patients are average on a daily basis, about 24 patients we have on the ward and within recent, 80% of them are orthopedic cases with, broken bones. And about 40 to 60% are road traffic accidents."

Courtney Menzies:
"Do you feel like recently, do you feel that, you have, a level of space issue where you don't have enough space for other people, other patients who are coming?"

Alleshia Pollard, Unit Manager, General Surgical Ward, KHMH
"Definitely, definitely. We've, it's an issue we've been battling, every day we have more patients coming into the hospital and we don't have the space to put them because we're attending to these patients."

And the increase in accidents correlates directly to the increasing number of motorcycles on the road. The survivors we spoke to said the decision to purchase a bike was mainly financial:

Courtney Menzies:
"Why did you choose a motorcycle over a vehicle?"

Liston Emmanuel, Motorcycle Accident Victim
"Gas expensive. I know, my young self, I could have owned a vehicle, I could have saved to own a vehicle but I was just at the cycle range that time because I wasn't going to own a cycle for my whole life. December, I used to always tell my parents I would have owned a vehicle by Christmas time."

Courtney Menzies:
"What was the decision into getting a motorcycle? Was it because of, you know, gas is cheaper. It's cheaper than a vehicle."

Jesse August, Motorcycle Accident Victim
"Compared to the vehicle? Yes. Of course. Normally I would, put in $20 gas and that would last about two weeks."

But Avila says it's not always worth it:

Noel Avila, Physical Therapist
"The first thing I always tell the patient get rid of the bike, try invest in a vehicle. It's far more safer to commute in a vehicle than on a motorbike. People do the motorbike thing because of economics, you know, gas prices, whatever. And they think that they they do a lot of savings by using a motorbike, but is also very dangerous in that."

A delicate and, too often, deadly balance between affordable transport and costly risks to both life and limbs.

In part two, which will air tomorrow, we speak with the Chief Transport Officer about what the traffic department is doing to minimize these incidents on the road.