By Sani Idris
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Kaduna Sector Command, on Wednesday trained some of its personnel on prompt response to accident victims, aimed at saving lives before proper medical care.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the theme of the training was ‘Ember months plan and prompt response in rescuing lives and property preparedness’.
The Deputy Corps Commander Operations (DCC) of the Sector Command, Solomon Igbogbo, said the training would equip the personnel with the requisite knowledge and serve as reminder of their duties and responsibilities in providing first class life
saving aids to accident victims.
He added that the purpose of the training was to map out ways of reducing crashes in Kaduna State.
According to him, the rate of road crashes in Kaduna is still high, and will require improvement in operational performance of operatives to contain.
Igbogbo added that training of paramedics on best first aid practices was essential.
He stressed the importance of enforcement of speed limit device installation on vehicles, noting that it will help in reducing speed which is
responsible for over 80 per cent of road traffic crashes.
Igbogbo called on motorists to avoid using mobile phones and gadgets while plying the road, and urged the personnel to always lead by example.
Earlier, the FRSC Kaduna Acting Sector Commander, DCC Garba Lawal, said the Corps as a lead agency in road traffic management was working in consonance with the Safe Sysem Approach of the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety (2021- 2023) and provision of post-crash care to victims of road traffic crashes.
He assured of the Command’s relentlessness in terms of prompt response in saving lives and properties, noting that the training would teach the staff the rudiments so as not to be in doubt on what to do at any given time.
“We will continue making the road safe for road users, which is why we recommend devices and works in order to minimize and eliminate crashes, and educate and enlighte motorists and the general public on safe use of the road.
“We will also not relent on removing obstructions from the highway and ensuring that accident victims get quick response and adequate medical care,”he said.
Lawal said the training would reequip the personnel on ways and strategies of saving lives and properties, and reduction in traffic fatalities.
He called on road users to abide by safety rules and regulations at all times.
One of the resource persons, Dr Musa Shuaibu, the Chairman Medical Advisory Committee, Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital, said they discovered that after road crash, FRSC personnel only pick the victims and dump them in the hospital.
He said that it was wrong, adding that the training would take them through pre-hospital care at the spot of accident before the victim will be taken to hospital.
Shuaibu added that the personnel would also go through the rudiments of knowing what to do and how to do it, and things to be done to victims on the way to hospital.
He emphasised the need to establish commutation with the hospital before accident victims are brought, to enable them prepare.
“Before victims of road crash are brought to us, we need to know the expected time before they arrive, the nature of injuries and their ages for us to prepare in handling the victims.
“If for instance an accident victim requires blood, when they call us we will immediately inform the blood transfusion unit to make it available before the victim arrives,” Shuaibu said.
NAN reports that rescue and evacuation of road traffic crash demonstration was done at the end of the training(NAN)
