Pupils undergoing BLS training
The National Ambulance Service (NAS) has announced that plans are far advanced to embark on a nationwide Emergency Medical Service (EMS) Day celebration in the coming years.
World Emergency Medical Service (EMS) Day is a day set aside to celebrate and appreciate the work of emergency medical personnel worldwide. In Ghana, the National Ambulance Service in commemoration of the day embarked on several activities geared towards creating awareness among the general public.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with DAILY GUIDE, Deputy Director of Public Relations, NAS, Simmons Yussif Kewura indicated that the nationwide celebration in Ghana was used to educate the young ones on the importance of emergency medical practices in the face of casualties.
“National Ambulance Services decided to use this occasion to educate the young ones who are very fast learners on EMS for them to teach their parents and also practice it in the face of any casualties and emergency,” he said.
Yussif Kewura further noted that provided the Service has an abundance of resources, it will enhance its coverage to include other schools in the EMS campaign.
“In the future, the National Ambulance Service wants to roll it out nationwide maybe next year. We are expecting to roll it out nationwide or at least select some schools for the training programme. We will be doing it yearly and if we have the resources we are going to embark on a float to create much awareness,” he pointed out.
This year’s EMS Day was held at Christ The King International School in Accra.
The pupils were taken through some basic emergency topics in Basic Life Support (BLS) such as Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), and some titbits on First Aid by some senior officers of the Service.
Paramedic Christiana Achena took one group of pupils through the BLS training while Principal Advanced Emergency Medical Technology (PAEMT) Mohammed Mashoud and Principal Emergency Medical Technician (PEMT) Ankah Zonbo worked with the other group of pupils.
The pupils also had the opportunity to have a hands-on session on what they had been taught during the theory session. They were finally introduced to the ambulance, with its various devices and their functions.
Assistant Headmaster, Jasmin Joy Agbewornu, expressed appreciation for the EMS training programme held at the school.
“I am very glad that the school had this opportunity to mark this year’s EMS Day with the Service. This programme will educate pupils on how to save lives in emergency cases,” he said.
BY Prince Fiifi Yorke