Lack of First Aid knowledge among members of the public worries Govt.

Lack of First Aid knowledge among members of the public worries Govt.

Lusaka, February 20, ZANIS—Government says lack of sufficient knowledge among members of the public on how to provide First Aid is the major contributor to loss of lives especially during road traffic accidents.

Health Deputy Minister Christopher Mulenga said the unnecessary loss of lives during road traffic accidents in the country can be avoided if many people are trained on how to provide basic First Aid services.

Mr. Mulenga observed that limited knowledge and skills in First Aid among drivers and members of the public is the major contributor to the massive loss of lives during accidents because victims are not given the best First Aid before being evacuated to various health facilities.

The Deputy Minister also said a large number of accidents and fatalities can be avoided if the road users were better educated to abide by the laid down traffic rules and regulations.

Mr. Mulenga was speaking during the official opening of the Zambia Red Cross Society (ZRCS) Corporate First Aid Training with Export Trading Company Limited in Lusaka today.

He commended Export Trading Company Limited for taking a positive step to train its 10 employees on how to prevent loss of lives whenever accidents or sudden illness occur.

Mr. Mulenga has since called on the private sector to ensure that it seriously trains its employees on how to provide safety at their places of work.

And Mr. Mulenga has disclosed that road traffic accident constitutes among the ten major causes of mortality in the country due to lack of First Aid technique by people around the accidents scenes.

Mr. Mulenga said road traffic accidents have continued to negatively impact many lives.

He said with the current rate of accidents standing around 20,000 annually resulting in more than 1000 fatalities, accidents have a degree of devastating both the quality of life of the victims and the country’s economy.

Meanwhile, ZRCS National Finance Advisor Stanley Chigali has appealed to government to consider passing a law that will compel all motorists to be trained in first aid.

Mr. Chigali also called for the enactment of the law that will compel all public motor vehicles to carry first aid boxes as in line with the concept paper which his organisation formulated in 2004.