First Aid Knowledge Could Save That Life!

FREDERICK KEBADIRETSE
Staff Writer | Friday March 12, 2010 00:00

 

Out of nowhere, unexpectedly and anytime, an accident can occur. An accident is described as: the way things happen without any planning, apparent cause, or deliberate intent often leading to an injury or harm. That means no one will ever really know when an accident is going to happen. But this does not prevent society from preparing in advance for an accident.

Because we never know when it will happen, we should therefore anticipate that it is going to happen anytime.Therefore, we should always be prepared for accidents. Notwithstanding the fact that accidents can be prevented, we cannot avoid them completely. Accidents often leave us with no room for indecision and error.

When an accident happens, it is usually seconds - not minutes that count. Acting slowly can  lead to the death of an individual. But then acting too quickly  may be equally dangerous if the person assiting has no first aid knowledge. A pre-arranged emergency plan should therefore be available to prevent tragedy. This is possible through one thing - first aid.

Consider this scenario. A colleague suddenly collapses and becomes unconscious at work. This is a person who a few minutes back was alive and well. Suddenly he or she is lying there lifeless. What do you do? Well the logical thing is usually to call a doctor, nurse or medical personnel, all of whom will take some time to arrive. In the meantime, would you just sit back and watch such a colleague perish?

Well, I guess that is exactly what most people will do considering that they do not have knowledge of first aid.First aid is the first basic assistance given to a person immediately after an accident while still awaiting for medical personnel to arrive. If administered correctly, first aid can be very beneficial because it can save lives, it can determine the healing and rehabilitation of the injuries sustained in an accident.

Take for example, if someone is cut in an accident and is bleeding profusely. The person can end up dying due to excess loss of blood. But if first aid is done to reduce or stop the bleeding, he or she could be saved. One may argue that there are particular places where first aid knowledge is necessary, looking at the environment and activities that exposes people to injuries, like sports, manufacturing and construction sites and other industries.

But, first aid knowledge is a necessity wherever you may be, because an accident can happen anywhere, even in a comfortable air-conditioned office.

Picture this again: The place is the Department of Road Transport and Safety headquarters. One of the workers collapses and lies unconscious on the floor behind the counter. Chaos reigns supreme as everyone tries to attend to the poor man. But, none of them knows what they were doing. Some call out for his belt to be loosened, some call for cold water to be poured on his body, while others shout,'he needs fresh air'. Finally they agree to lift the man up and sit him up on a chair, still unconscious. They lift him up with the neck twisted backwards. What if he had a spinal injury? .

The major question for most customers indeed, was why there was no single employee in the department who understood the basic first-aid procedure. Some were saying that Batswana like taking things for granted and do not care about basics like first-aid. You would want to agree. How many workplaces have that white trunk with  green cross locked away in the storeroom? And how many of the staff know how to use the items contained therein? Forget the expired items. Some have sat there for the last five or even 10 years! Tawanda Monyoro, a first aid officer at Netcare 991, an emergency assistance company concurs  that Batswana lack first aid knowledge.

Individuals, he says, are reluctant to come and learn first aid as they think it is not necessary. He said the only interest is from companies that are training their employees. Sadly though some of the employees come with the objective of only acquiring a certificate to improve their CV, not that they are keen on learning first aid. He said the lack of first aid knowledge among Batswana is mostly displayed during road accidents when they try to provide assistance. He said the people who arrive first at the accident scene usually try to pull casualties out of vehicles, not considering the type of injuries they may have incurred.  Monyoro said this often worsens the severity of the injury and people end up dying. 'Assessment of the spine is very crucial because it can determine if a person will live or die,' he said. He said most deaths from road accidents can be avoided if people have first aid knowledge and proper procedures are followed.

Monyoro stressed the importance of first aid, not only for road accidents but for various places because accidents can occur anywhere. He said it is important to always have at least one or two people who understand first aid at home or in the office so they can know what to do in case of an emergency. He said these people no not necessarily have to be qualified, but basic first aid knowledge will help. He said everybody in the world is vulnerable to accidents anytime and therefore first aid training should be considered a necessity.