Dr. Joseph Bonney, an Emergency Medicine Specialist at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi has called for the training of workers in “Basic Life Support” to help provide emergency health services to save lives.
He also called for the incorporation of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and Basic First Aid principles in the curriculum of basic schools in Ghana and proposed for a law to be enshrined for every public facility to have a first aid box and Automated External Defibrillator (AED).
Dr. Bonney made the call when he briefed the Ghana News Agency, in Accra, after the launch of a project dubbed: “The Basic Life Support” at a workshop in Kumasi by Elijeko Foundation, a non-profit organisation in collaboration with the National Ambulance Service (NAS).
He commended Elijeko Foundation and the NAS for the initiative, which was aimed at encouraging timely pre-hospital interventions for individuals who experience cardiac arrests.
The Director of Operations of the NAS appealed to the public to use Emergency Toll-Free numbers for genuine emergencies.
“There were over 20 million emergency prank calls recorded in 2020 and 2022, and these prank calls made it difficult for people with genuine emergencies to access emergency services, thereby, affecting service response time,” he stated.
Ms. Celestina Kalor Abapiri, the In-Country Representative of the Elijeko Foundation said Elijeko Foundation and the NAS were ready to provide this live-saving training and encouraged individuals or the public to take advantage of the services.
Ms. Abapiri pleaded with the public to volunteer to donate blood to support the work of the National Blood Bank.
Okogye Abibiduro Nana Kwadwo Obiri from Obiri Herbal Research Centre on behalf of Ghana Federation of Traditional Medicine Practitioners Association (GHAFTRAM) expressed gratitude to the organizers of the event, which he described as very useful and an eye-opener.
“We are coming from the herbal background, and it is going to be very helpful. I must admit that this workshop has been very useful because we have learned a lot. We also thank Elijeko Foundation and the NAS for this opportunity and encourage them to do more,” he stated.
The event gathered participants from diverse backgrounds, notably, healthcare professionals, and students from Garden City University College.
By Albert Allotey, GNA
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