Ghana Red Cross Trains Security Agencies In First Aid

The Ghana Red Cross Society (GRCS) has trained personnel of the Motor Traffic and Transport Department of the Ghana Police Service and Takoradi Air Force Station in basic first aid dispensation. The training formed part of activities marking this year�s United Nations World Aid Day which was celebrated on September 13 across the world. The security personnel were taken through dispensation of basic life support to accident victims, offering care to bleeding victims, assisting cardiac arrest victims at accident scenes, lifting victims into helicopter, supporting victims who have fractured bones as well as controlling crowd and traffic at accident scenes. The Western Regional Manager of the GRCS, Mr. Matthew Boateng who was the facilitator for the training programme, said the Society targeted personnel of the security agencies because they often arrive at accident scene early. He said it was prudent to train them in how to offer proper first aid to casualties in order to resuscitate them before an ambulance arrives. Mr Boateng said if accident victims were not handled properly by first aiders they could end up worsening or killing the victims eventually, hence the importance of the in-service training. He said giving first aid to casualties would aid in preserving their lives, prevent conditions from getting worse and promote their human dignity and appealed to people to acquire basic first aid knowledge because it could prove useful in critical times especially at home and daily routine. Mr. Boateng revealed plans by the GRCS to establish two emergency posts along Takoradi/Tarkwa and Takoradi/Cape Coast highways to attend to emergency situations in view of high spate of crashes on these routes and appealed to corporate entities, individuals and philanthropists to support the initiative. �We shall need standby ambulance and first aid kit to cater for accident victims at all times therefore a Good Samaritan Emergency Fund has been launched to solicit for support towards this project�, he said. The Western Regional Commander of the Motor Traffic and Transport Department, Assistant Superintendent of Police Michael Dandy Zah, said the police were supposed to save lives and property especially at accident scenes and added that the training had given them insight into basic first aid and taught them modern trend of assisting victims of accidents. He cautioned the public to exercise restraints any time there was an accident because improper handling of casualties could worsen their conditions and advised them to rather call the emergency service agencies such as the Ambulance Service, the Ghana Fire Service and the Police for proper first aid. The personnel conducted a simulation on how to offer first aid to accident victims. The Ghana Red Cross Society was established by an Act of Parliament, Act 10 of 1958, committed to the alleviation of human suffering and providing community services in disaster preparedness and relief.