KAMPALA – In Uganda, accidents remain high not only on roads but also at schools, workplaces, and homes which calls for professional emergency life-saving skills.
The Uganda National Bureau of Standards’ national work survey 2021 shows that 22% of the 20.5 million working population were exposed to workplace hazards. The question, however, remains if they were able to get professional First Aid.
According to the Uganda Red Cross Society – URCS, the country needs to train lifesavers to be able to save lives. Uganda Red Cross plays a key role in ensuring that companies are trained and staff equipped with safety skills.
Robert Kwesiga – URCS Secretary General says they are associated with First Aid and ambulance services but they realized a need to upscale and do it better.
“Our main focus is sustainability into dimensions of our service delivery such that we reach out to all those who need our services,” he said during the launch of commercial ambulances and First Aid school on Friday at their head offices in Kampala.
“For us to do that, we need money and one way to raise resources is by taking advantage of the services we give to the public but without compromising the services for the vulnerable.”
Mr. Kwesiga noted that they will continue giving free First Aid services wherever there is a need but “there are those who need our First Aid services and they shouldn’t get it for free.”
To meet this, he revealed that they have not only trained a team to the international standards on First Aid who can offer training on the same but also have bought more modern training equipment.
He noted that today they are limited by the space to accommodate a big number of trainees but will soon open a bigger center.
“We have a big chunk of land in Mukono which we are turning into Uganda Red Cross Industrial Center where the bigger training center will be set up. The one we have here now can accommodate only 25 people, so, it limits us.”
Mr. Kwesiga noted that they have a modest fleet of ambulances and commended the Government of Uganda through the Ministry of Health for giving them an upper hand in purchasing them.
“The ones which are doing public health emergency will be maintained to that,” he said.
Representing Health Minister, John Baptist Wanyahe – Commissioner Emergency Health Services commended URCS for the move which he says will reduce on the number of casualties who die due to poor or lack of First Aid and ambulances.
“URCS is a fast responder and that’s why the Ministry of Health takes it particular to build this relationship strongly. The policy of the government is to ensure that we have coverage of type B ambulance per 100,000 population,” he noted, adding, “The private services are also encouraged to have ambulances with the aim that there will be those who may not be reached by the public sector.”
The right target by World Health Organization – WHO for developing countries is 1 in 75000 and Mr. Wanyahe notes that the only way to achieve this is by complimentary by the private sector, thereby commending URCS for coming out to fill the gap with commercial ambulances.
He says that response at the scene is one of the critical areas but requires well-trained responders in First Aid “because anything wrong done at the scene, nothing much can be done at the health facility.”
Mr. Nkonge Douglas – Asst. Commissioner at the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development noted that Ugandans spend about 8 hours at work which tells how necessary it is for employees to be trained in life-saving skills.
“We are really happy that URCS has come up with an initiative to train people who will be responding to emergencies in the workplaces because all those hours you spend at work, something may happen.”
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