The 2nd Saturday in the month of September, every year is World First Aid Day. Statistics show that globally in 2018, about 1.2 million people died as a result of injuries in road accidents. According to estimates by the British Red Cross, as many as 59 percent of these people could have been saved if they had received Basic First Aid on the spot.
Even in countries with the best emergency services, it can take up to ten minutes for an ambulance to arrive at the scene of an accident to help the patient or victim. This is a crucial, 10 minute window of opportunity to save the victim’s life. The crux of the matter is ensuring that the injured or sick people get quick and effective pre-hospital care otherwise known as First Aid treatment before a trained medical help arrives.
Life-saving First Aid is simple and could be as easy as:
- Putting an unresponsive person who is breathing in a recovery position and tilting their head back to open their airways.
- Or simply applying pressure to a bleeding wound to help slow down the loss of blood.
Sadly, this is only done in less than half of most situations as bystanders typically have no clue of what type of First Aid to adopt and panic while others make videos to post online. On the World First Aid Day, 2020, the Nigerian Red Cross Society wishes to point out that it is time all and sundry took First Aid more seriously.
There is a need for First Aid knowledge for all. Indeed many road accident victims have ended up suffering severe spinal cord injuries or may have been killed due to the manner in which they were wrongly pulled out of a wreckage of an accident by good Samaritans. Also, homes and offices need basic First Aid knowledge. It is sad that many people do not know how to handle someone who suddenly begins to choke on their food or slumps.
We at the Nigerian Red Cross Society celebrate World First Aid Day, we ask you to reach out to any of the nearest 37 branches of the Nigerian Red Cross Society and get trained on basic First Aid.
