Red Cross marks First Aid day |15 September 2014

A volunteer gives information about the Red Cross to visitors to the exhibition

In June 1859, a Swiss businessman by the name of Henry Dunant was on his way to the Italian village of Solferino where he had planned a business meeting with French Emperor Napoleon 111 who was leading a military campaign against the Austrian Army in the area.

On his way he discovered the horrors of war as he witnessed soldiers from both sides involved in a bloody battle, leaving many dead and wounded. The majority of the injured was not attended to and a great number of them died of their wounds as the situation had become too hot to handle for the medical teams.
Dunant was so shocked that he forgot his meeting with Napoleon and rather decided to set up a field hospital in a nearby church, where with the help of Italian nurses he provided medical attention to the soldiers and sent news to their families.

When he came back to his home town of Geneva, Dunant wrote a book which he entitled ‘The Saviour of Solferino’. In his book he proposed the creation of voluntary groups in all countries to take care of war casualties. He also asked international protection to people providing the care. In 1863 the proposals became reality as Dunant himself and some other Swiss nationals created a first international committee in favour of the wounded. The committee would later become The International Committee of the Red Cross with as logo a replica of the Swiss flag: A red cross on a white background. A parallel organisation, the Red Crescent, was later created for Islamic countries. Both organisations now fall under the auspices of the Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies which regroup members from 180 countries.

Today, first aiders and Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies are protected by various United Nations Conventions which regulate help not only to wounded soldiers, but also to prisoners of war and all civilians needing medical and other forms of help.

This is the story of first aiding and the Red Cross! The organisation celebrated First Aid day on Saturday and in Seychelles, the occasion was marked by a small exhibition at the Orion Mall. While customers were busy going around for their traditional Saturday shopping, they could stop at the stand in the middle of the shopping centre to discover the work of humanitarian nature done locally and abroad. They could even register as a volunteer.

First aiders were also available to explain and demonstrate why quick and first aid is crucial as an initial life-saving intervention which can significantly increase your chance of survival. Through direct interaction with the public, they educated them on accidents which are a concern for us all.

As volunteers are never sufficient, the Red Cross is calling on fresh ones to man its different tasks which also include an ambulance service, conducting training, dissemination and youth programme, HIV/Aids education, disaster preparedness and response, blood donation, community work and fund-raising activities.

People are also being invited to learn life-saving skills by joining First Aid courses being offered.
The Society can be contacted on telephone number 4274544 or on the following e-mail address: hqredcross@ymail.com.