Zoomlion Foundation and partners kick-start 'Keep Your Mind On The Road' campaign

As part of Zoomlion Foundation's initiatives to equip schoolchildren, teachers and parents with skills on emergency response preparedness and road safety, the Foundation is collaborating with Korle Bu Teaching Hospital Emergency Unit, National Ambulance Service and Road Safety Management Services Limited (RSML) with support from Ghana Police Service MMTD and Ghana Education Service to organize series of trainings and sensitization targeting some 10000 beneficiaries in the Adentan Municipality of Accra.

The first training was held for over 3000 schoolchildren, teachers and parents on Friday, 14th June 2024, at the assembly grounds of Nii Sowa Din Memorial Cluster of Schools in Nmai Dzorn, near Zoomlion Headoffice.

The attendees were drawn from all the five schools on the cluster (Sowa Din Kindergarten, Sowa Din Primary 1, Sowa Din Primary 2, Sowa Din JHS 1 and Sowa Din JHS 2 Schools) as well as reps of key stakeholders in Nmai Dzorn community including the zonal city guards, zonal environmental officers, clinics, PTA chairman, trotro drivers, okada riders, clergy, assembly member and sellers in Nmai Dzorn.

Dr. Henry Bulley, Clinical Coordinator for Emergency Service Department - Korle Bu Hospital, lead an eight member medical team from Korle Bu Hospital to conduct the training. He explained to the trainees that emergency response plays a crucial role in saving lives during accidents and disasters, hence the importance of education and training in emergency response procedures to ensure timely and effective saving of lives.

Dr. Bulley cited critical issues affecting emergency response in Ghana including Delayed Assistance, Incorrect Actions Taken, Lack of Basic First Aid Skills, Inadequate Communication and Unfamiliarity with Emergency Response Resources.

Dr. Serwaa Quao of the medical team used dummy human body parts, charts and role plays to demonstrate cardioplunery resuscitation (CPR), first aid procedure , convulsion handling, burns handling and other important skills needed for emergency response at school and home. Students and teachers took turns to practice the skills.

The Deputy Director of National Ambulance Services, Dr. Felicia Freeman,

and her team of Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) facilitated the training on Emergency Communication and Response. They brought along one national ambulance vehicle with which they demonstrated their services. Teachers and schoolchildren were permitted to enter the ambulance to witness the demonstration on how care is given inside the vehicle. The EMT also used role play to teach trainees on how to call for emergency assistance with the National Ambulance short code 193.

On his part, the Business Development Manager of Road Safety Management Services Limited (RSML), Mr. Theodore Aplerku, noted that there was the need for teachers to constantly sensitize school children on basic road regulations and it's usage.

Because of the newly constructed dual road in front of this school, it has become imperative to educate the children in its usage to avoid the loss of lives, he stressed.

The Adentan Municipal School Health Education Program Coordinator, Mrs. Patience Basintale, cited her key take home lesson that "sometimes patients apply all sorts of chemicals and liquids on burns but we have been advised to just use running water to clean burns and cuts and then report to the hospital".

She added that with this training, we have equipped teachers and schoolchildren them with the basics in emergency response to enable them save lives.

The Zoomlion Foundation Coordinator, Mr. Thomas Narh Korley, remarked that Zoomlion is happy with the over 3000 attendance to the first training.

"This life-saving skills training will reach all schools in Nmai Dzorn so that lives of students and parents will be protected", he stated.

He said that key stakeholders of the school have been calling for this training after the dual carriageway linking School Junction to Boteiman was opened to traffic and some parents and schoolchildren were knocked down by vehicles.

He added that the Zoomlion Foundation is liaising with other key stakeholders like the Municipal Assembly representative Hon. David Animah and Ghana Highway Authority to provide other solutions to curb overspeeding.