Bruderhilfe Team members attended a capacity building program for women-focused NGOs, Organized by the Lagos State Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (MWAPA), on the 24th of January, 2023. The program with the theme, “First Aid / Emergency Management: What every woman should know”; trained participants to adopt life saving strategies in order to properly handle Medical emergencies & curb fatalities, following accidents across their various communities.
The program which held at the Women Development Center, Agege, had in attendance, The Commissioner of Women Affairs & poverty alleviation, Hon. (Mrs.) Cecelia Bolaji Dada, represented by the Head, NGO Unit, MWAPA, Mrs. Itunu Babarinde; and the Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Oluyemi Kalesanwo, ably represented.
Highlights of the program focused on: Expectations of MWAPA from women-focused NGOs, Importance and components of First Aid and the use of Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) as a vital tool to saving lives during emergency situations.
Mrs. Babarinde gave the welcome address on behalf of the honourable commissioner. She appreciated the good work done by women-focused NGOs in Lagos state and notified NGOs present that MWAPA has upgraded on their relations with NGOs, and each Organization now has an assigned desk officer.
She encouraged NGOs present to always relay implemented projects with the NGO unit of MWAPA, for directions on alignment with the Ministry’s goals & objectives; and to always send a representative to attend programs organized by MWAPA.
She affirmed that MWAPA would visit each NGO for assessment before completing registration, and Certificates are renewable every year for a fee of ₦5,000, to be picked up within a week of renewal.
She reiterated that it is compulsory for NGOs to always acknowledge messages & Information from MWAPA, and to submit Work Plans & Annual Reports to the MWAPA office, at the beginning of every year.
Mrs. Babarinde mentioned some of the ways in which women-focused NGOs can partner with MWAPA, by utilising the ministry’s available resources. NGOs can take advantage of the 19 Skills Acquisition Centers, established by MWAPA, spread across Lagos state; and also leverage on capacity building programs organised and Information shared by the ministry.
She stated the objective of the day’s program, which was to equip participants with knowledge on how to tackle common emergency medical cases such as accidents, injury, trauma, heart attack etc; in homes, work places & public places; and to train attendees on how to react in such cases.
She said eight in every ten women do not know how to administer First Aid, and most homes & work places do not have first aid kits; but in reality, First Aid kits are essential to stay prepared for any occurrence, and everyone in a home or work place should know the location of the kit for easy access.
She ended her address by giving the emergency numbers / helplines (767 for Lagos state and 113 for Federal), which should be known to every citizen, and used promptly in severe cases; and noted that knowledge of First Aid would drastically curb mortality rates, save lives and enable women be empowered to maximize their potentials.
Mrs. Samuel Aduragbemi Esther, was the facilitator of the first training session. She listed the objectives of the session, which was to enlighten participants on First Aid and it’s Importance, and to identify common emergencies & First Aiders practice.
She defined First Aid as the Medical attention that is usually administered immediately after an injury / situation occurs, at the place it occurred. She however noted that First Aid is a Part-time / Short-term treatment, but is the first skillful support given to a sick / injured victim to preserve life, relieve suffering or prevent further injury. She said First Aid requires little technology or training, but is necessary until qualified medical care is available.
She highlighted some common emergencies, including: bleeding, heart attack, breathing difficulties, injuries, seizures and collapse of victims.
She shared the Importance of First Aid which included: saving lives, preventing condition from worsening, and preventing development of Medical condition.
Mrs. Samuel gave some important First Aid practices, including: taking immediate action, calming down situation, giving reassurance to victims and guidance to bystanders, and calling for Medical professionals / hospitals.
She instructed that the duties of First Aiders is to apply relevant treatment before Medical professionals arrive and check for consciousness / breathing / damages. She demonstrated how to check for pulse by placing fingers on the side of the neck below the windpipe. She shared some symptoms of heart attack in women, as well as the difference between panic attacks and heart attacks. She pointed out the “Dos and Don’ts” in handling burns & scars, and the importance of having First Aid Kit with complete Materials including: cotton wool, bandages, scissors, plaster, safety pins, antiseptic lotions & wipes.
Before ending the session, Mrs. Samuel shared some First Aid ethical issues, urging participants to know their limits and maintain confidentiality with Information concerning victims. She also shared some First Aid Slogans, and encouraged participants to take time to learn First Aid and CPR, as it works & saves lives.
She concluded by noting that everyone would have to make the decision to help in an emergency at some point in their lives; and it is better to know First Aid and not need it, than to need First Aid and not know it. Finally, she shared a Basic Life Support Chart, to guide First Aiders, with the acronyms:
D – Danger
R – Response
S – Send for Help
A – Airway
B – Breathing
C – CPR
D – Defibrillation (use of equipment / instruments)
With a final warning that First Aiders do not diagnose, and should not pose to be Medical professionals.
The second session involved practical demonstrations on administration of CPR. The facilitator informed participants that CPR should commence only if pulse can no longer be felt, and the standard is: Hands only CPR for strangers as mouth-to-mouth should only be used between immediate family members whose Medical history is known to First Aider. He said the ideal compression count is 100 to 120 compressions per minute, and went ahead to demonstrate how to administer compressions using a Medical dummy.
Participants asked questions of the facilitators, and some recommendations were proposed by the end of the program, some of which included:
* First Aiders should take care not to put themselves in danger, while administering help.
* Nigeria needs to adopt a “Good Samaritan Law” to protect First Aiders
* First Aiders should always enlighten the populace on the need to stop overcrowding of victims’ space and the dousing of victims with water, during fainting / collapsing.
* We should all ensure First Aid Kits are available in our homes, work places, public places.