Lack of skills in first aid practices cause deaths - Mrs Commey

Tamale, Nov. 26, GNA - The Executive Secretary of the St. John Ambulance Ghana, Mrs Hilda Commey has observed that the lack of knowledge and skills in first aid techniques had resulted in the unfortunate deaths and maiming of many accident victims in the country. She explained that, the carnage on the roads could be averted if swift first aid management techniques and available resources were applied on accident victims before they were taken to the hospitals.

Mrs Commey was speaking at a three-day First Aid Management training course, organised for some students from selected basic schools in the Tamale Metropolis on Thursday.

The forum was aimed at equipping the students with the knowledge and skills in general first aid practices to help reduce the incidence of deaths and disability among road accident victims.

The students treated topics on "Principles and Practices of First Aid, Difference between Incident and Casualty Management and the Procedures for Checking an Unconscious Casualty", among others.

Mrs Commey said first aid may be practised in any accident or disaster situation and pointed out that the outcome of accidents did not only depend on their severities but also on the type of first aid rendered to the casualties.

She announced that the Ministry of Health in collaboration with the St. John Ambulance had embarked on a nation-wide road safety campaign and first aid techniques to save lives on the roads.

She said, the two organisations had also organised first aid training for the Ghana Private Road Transport Union drivers to enable them to administer first aid to traffic accident victims and how to handle them when they were carrying them to the hospitals Mrs Commey urged the students to educate members of their communities on first aid practices to ensure that accident victims were managed properly in the communities.