Health ministry, NGOs partner to boost life-saving training for Nigerians

By Our Correspondent

The Federal Government says it is committed to ensuring that citizens are empowered to recognise sudden cardiac arrests and initiate Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) promptly.

The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Salako, assured the commitment in Abuja during the inauguration of Basic Life Support, Walk -In CPR and Automated External Defibrillator (AED) training.

According to him, by extending the training beyond government offices into communities, schools, work places, and public spaces, they are building a nationwide network of first responders.

He said the idea was also to strengthen community resilience to medical emergencies.

“We need to put something together that can help us work closely with what the Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) are delivering, the framework, the training modules, the certification process.

“We should find a way to have a stamp of government authority on it, so that it can be easier, and we can create opportunities better for Nigerians to have access to.

“This issue has already been discussed at the Federal Executive Council, so it’s in line with our responsibility at the ministry to initiate ways to get other offices and staff trained,” he said.

The minister called on participants to remain fully engaged, treat the training with utmost seriousness and regard themselves as ambassadors of life-saving knowledge in the ministry, their households and the wider community.

“It is my expectation that this programme will be sustained, expanded, and institutionalised, contributing to a culture where immediate response to medical emergencies become second nature to all.

Also speaking, Dr Morayo Salawu the General Secretary of the Nigerian Society of Anaesthetists (NSA), said the main focus was basic life support, noting that many people who required it, often slump or collapse at home.

“More than 50 per cent have passed away outside the hospital settings. So as NSA, our project is to go to all corners of Nigeria to teach people how to conduct CPR.

“We want to teach students, market men, workers, and everyone, not just health workers,” she said.

According to her, the goal is for people to identify and recognise when someone needs CPR and know what to do.

“Knowing what to do can save a life, as the brain has less than four minutes before permanent damage occurs,” Salawu said.

Oher NGOs involved are the Nigeria Cardiac Society and the Cardiac Foundation.(https://newsatlarge.ng)