First Aid Day – September 14 |14 September 2013

First Aid saves lives

Millions of people are hurt or killed every year because of inadequate response or lack of timely assistance. Taking immediate action and applying the appropriate techniques, while waiting for professional help, can considerably reduce death and injuries, and the impact of disasters and every day emergencies.

First aid is not a replacement for emergency services. It is a vital initial step for providing effective and swift action that helps to reduce serious injuries and improve the chances of survival. People in war-torn zone or disaster affected areas are often not given the opportunity to be trained in basic First Aid. First Aid awareness is lacking in many vulnerable communities, where a very basic idea of how to treat an injury or simply keep someone alive, would have real impact.

The Red Cross and Red Crescent is one of the world’s leading First Aid educator and provider. For more than one hundred years, First Aid has been one of the main services provided by the Red Cross and the Red Crescent volunteers. We believe that First Aid reduces vulnerabilities and helps build stronger communities.

What is First Aid?
The assistance provided during the first few minutes of an accident is essential for the injured, especially for their future health and quality of life. A considerable amount of time may pass before an ambulance arrives but life-saving assistance can still be provided.

The likelihood of an injured person living or dying depends on the timeline of these life-saving actions. The odds of survival are greatly increased if bystanders quickly begin to apply first aid. Acting quickly means a reduction in severity of injuries upon arrival at the hospital and better chances of survival.

Investing in first aid training and education not only saves lives, but is also cost effective. First Aid reduces the severity of injuries and at the same time the high cost of medical treatment and the long term consequence for severely injured people.

Traffic accidents are not the only scenes where First Aid can reduce injuries and prevent death. Accidents can happen equally at home, at work, at school and on the road. Most accidents requiring First Aid occur in places where people feel secure - at home in particular. Such accidents include incidents of falls, leisure accidents, cuts, burns and suffocation. A lack of First Aid knowledge can increase the risk associated with domestic accidents.

First Aid training and education can increase the awareness of hazards that cause accidents at home, at the workplaces and in the streets. Besides a life-savings function, First Aid training and education is also a major tool for prevention. It makes people more aware of the dangers that they face, especially in disaster prone areas. Prevention messages must be included in all First Aid training and education.

The elderly and children are the most vulnerable categories of the population. Home and leisure accidents affect them more often that other age categories.

Other threats such as the growing use of drugs and alcoholism can also bring devastating consequences and require more and more First Aid assistance. This is especially true of the binge drinking phenomenon. This extremely dangerous practice is popular with teenagers and young adult in many communities. Having people among those groups who are aware of the dangers and know how to help will make a difference in reducing the number of serious medical consequences and deaths.

Here in Seychelles First Aid training is given by the Red Cross Society of Seychelles, for your registration please contact us on 4374544 / 2618995. You can also visit our website: Seychellesredcross.sc

Contributed