No fewer than 25 youths have been trained on basic First AID skills in Benin city by an organization LifeSavers Initiative for First AID Education Nigeria (LifeSaversNG)
The training tagged #Pulse4Beats 1.0 held penultimate Saturday at the Medical Complex of the University of Benin (UNIBEN).
Welcoming the participants, Founder of the NGO, Ogbemudia Eddy Uwoghiren a fifth year medical student commended them for being selected for the training. He stated that the organization received a total of 174 applications for the training slot and had a tough time selecting the 27 most motivated applicants.
According to him, the organization has the vision of creating a world where everyone has basic First AID skills. He added that the organization mission was to positively impact communities by equipping them with First AID education and equipment.
“Prompt pre-hospital care is necessary to improve outcome of road traffic accident victims, however this service is suboptimal in Nigeria and some developing countries because of lack of Emergency Medical Services (EMS). Training of lay responders in First AID is however a means of filling this gap in settings with inadequate EMS. Statistics has it that 9 in 10 Nigerians lack Basic First Aid skills as against 3 in 10 Americans. This dearth of First AID knowledge has led to an increase in death rate in during times of emergencies and a poor ranking of Nigeria’s Heath sector (140 out of 190 countries),” he said.
He thereafter appreciated the University Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academics) Professor Pius Iribhogbe, a professor of Trauma Surgery for his support during the planning of the programme.
Before the training began, the participants filled a Pre Training Survey and thereafter Ofure Efeovbokhan gave a lecture on the overview of Fisrt AID, importance and problems facing first AID education in the country.
Micah Iduitua, a paramedic staff at the Accident and Emergency Department of University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) took the participants through Basic Life Support Skills (BLS) including airway opening manoeuvres, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, (CPR), mouth to mask ventilation, bad valve mask ventilation, choking relief and haemorrhage control.
Other components of his lectures included snake bites, drug overdose, syncope, recovery position, opioid overdose and maintaining C spine.
Immediately after his lectures, the participants practicalized what they have learnt.
Also, leaders from Red Cross Society, UNIBEN detachment were on ground to educate the participants on the workings of Red Cross society.
At the end of the training, the participants’ filled the post training survey and certificate of participation presented to the participants.
Charity Anieobe-Asekharen commended the organizers for the training which according to her was timely and asked that it be regular. She further called on government at all levels to support polices geared towards making First AID education compulsory for all as it in Israel.
