BY STYLE REPORTER
The Parliamentary Portfolio on Transport and Infrastructure chairperson Oscar Gorerino on Friday said basic knowledge of first aid was critical in avoiding loss of lives after road accidents.
Gorerino made these remarks at the basic first aid for the motoring public training for the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Transport and Infrastructural Development in Kariba.
The training was organised by the Zimbabwe Red Cross Society (ZRCS) in partnership with the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Republic Police and Harare City Fire department.
“This training is generally aimed at equipping learner and certified drivers, crew members and passengers with First Aid knowledge, skills and attitudes as a component of Disaster Risk Management on Zimbabwe`s roads,” Gorerino said.
“This, we are certain, will reduce the number of accident-related disabilities as well as deaths in worst case scenarios on our roads due to late First Aid rendering to the injured.
“The ever-increasing number of vehicles, road traffic accidents and the lack of first aid knowledge, skills and attitudes within the motoring public has prompted the Zimbabwe Red Cross to come up with a tailor-made first aid training programme aimed at overcoming the afore mentioned challenges for the Zimbabwean motoring public.
“It is our hope that through partnerships like the one we are witnessing today, we will be able to enhance road safety and reduce road fatalities.”
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Gorerino said statistics collected over the past few years from both developing and developed countries indicated that loss of lives as a result of road traffic accidents could be reduced if the first responders to the scenes are properly equipped with the knowledge, skills and attitudes of first aid.
ZRCS secretary-general Elias Hwenga said his organisation was a first aid training service provider of choice, providing appropriate, evidence-based first aid and health care training services to all sectors in the country.
“Because we strongly believe that everyone has a potential to save life, we aim to train as many people as possible in first aid in Zimbabwe as provision of first aid and nurse aide training services is one of our key mandate aimed at saving lives,” Hwenga said.
“Our courses are tailor-made for industry, mining and the community at large.
“First Aid is a lifesaving skill, which you can rely on at any given time. We have read about students drowning in swimming pools at schools, some families losing their beloved children to emergencies at homes and the many road accidents that continue to claim lives every other day.
“All such unfortunate incidents call for us to be equipped with basic first aid skills so that we know how to respond to emergencies as they arise.”
The motoring public training for the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Transport and Infrastructural Development was aimed at equipping learner and certified drivers, crew members and passengers with first aid knowledge, skills and attitudes as a component of disaster risk management on the country’s roads..
Hwenga said there was need for all Zimbabweans to have basic knowledge of first aid given that emergencies are a daily phenomenon.
He said first aid remains an integral component in everyday lives, whether at home, school, workplace or travelling.
