REAL STORIES

No matter where you live. What language you speak, your class or religion. First AID knowledge plays an important part in your everyday life. Read the stories on this site and you'll start to notice that FA knowledge is needed everywhere including vehicles.

Road accidents and community help by Mrs Stella Okoh. stellaokohjnr@yahoo.com, Source: AmanaOnline, a US NGO

My three children and I were involved in a road accident on 26th June 2007 when our car collided with a bus that was avoiding a pothole but unfortunately tumbled along Kano-Kaduna expressway. Eight people died including my son.

Having been back from the hospital for over one week, I have had time to reflect on our depressing incident. First, I am very pleased with the rapid response of the local community who got on with the job of getting people out of the wreckage and helping the injured to the road. Many travellers volunteered to carry us to the nearest hospital which is Prime Hospital , Makarfi. Indeed, the staff of the hospital did a superb job because despite the overwhelming workload and limited facilities, they managed to assess us and make us as comfortable as they could with our painful injuries. Although, the FRSC ambulance did not arrive early enough at the accident scene but its officers that met us at the hospital did a marvelous job by encouraging the hospital to continue treatment while they went to recover our property including money from the wreckage and stored them safely until we were able to reclaim them.

In retrospect, most people involved in the accident died as a result of excessive bleeding and maybe breathing problems. In as much as individuals from the community and other road users wanted to help in preventing these deaths, they were confused on what to do.  I doubt if anyone at the scene of the accident had slight knowledge of first aid management. Even at that, there were no first aid kits available.

My experience informs me that if we had trained first aiders around the accident spot, a lot of lives would have been saved and maybe my son would not have died the way he did. Really, on ways of enhancing quick help for road users in need, it is not realistic to expect the FRSC to be at every accident scene as quickly as possible and I do not think we need to search far for quick impact solutions.  First aid is a new answer to an old problem of poor rescue for accident victims and it offers wide-ranging solutions through community help. This distressing incident has made me to learn that acquiring first aid skills is a very simple process and a necessity for all those who use Nigerian bad roads. I would therefore suggest that the FRSC initiates a compulsory training programme for drivers on first aid administration while NGOs involved in road safety complements this effort by training communities on the road. 

Why Most Road Accident Victims Die by Eugene Agha
This Day newspapers, 20 September 2007

Last year, about 26.5 million persons world wide sustained injuries through auto accidents, while about 1.2312 million died as a result of injuries sustained. In most cases, these victims end up dying before any help could come their way. This is so, particularly in Nigeria where accident witnesses are usually in confused state. Experts say many of the accident victims would survive if first aid comes in time.

Annie, 35, was driving from Ife town in Osun State to Ibadan, in Oyo State. Before she left Osogbo that fateful morning, she had carefully mapped out what her day would look like. Feeling very happy and gay, she jumped into her 505-salon car and with one swift movement she drove off at about 7am. Mentally, she rehashed in her mind what to do at her assignment venue. Feeling the cool fresh air latching on her face, she accelerated, making between 160 to 170 km per hour. Meandering in between the light traffic that was building up ahead of her, she gunned the car towards the Ibadan-Ife Expressway. Suddenly, the weather changed and it began to rain heavily. Still engrossed in though and in the task ahead of her, she accelerated the more. As she drove past the road that leads to the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ife, one of the tires of the vehicle came off and the car somersaulted severally before it finally rested on its roof.

Annie managed to crawl out of the car before she blanked out by the side of the road. It was in this unconscious state that help came her way. However, help did not come, until some minutes later, when a young man, simply identify as John, arrived the scene. Not confused, though, but with conscious steps he finds his way towards where Annie was lying in a pool of her own blood. He called out for help as he approached the accident scene. Carefully and cautiously he headed towards where Annie was lying down on her back, scanning the entire area for any sign of danger as he goes. But did not approach Annie until he was sure that his life was not in danger. Kneeling down before the unconscious woman, he gently shook Annie from both shoulders "can you hear me, can you hear me, are you alright. Talk to me, please talk to me. Squeeze my hand if you can hear me" he said. Even though, Annie did not respond, John still went ahead to feel the breath of the victim. Stooping close to the unconscious woman, he made effort to know if she was still breathing. In his mind, he counted up to ten before he got the sign he was looking for. Annie was apparently in shock, but still breathing but her breath was very faint. With relief in his eyes, he proceeded to roll the injured victim on her back so that the vital organs of her body would not be damaged. And with care, he extended her head backward, clearing the airways in the process. So that she will not suffocate and breathing will continue effortlessly. He then went further to place her right hand at about 90 degree angle to her body. Holding her left hand, he crossed it over her to the other side of her body and ensuring that her palm was held close to her face. Raising one of her legs up at the kneel in form of a triangle, John rolled her on one side of her body. Placing her in a recovery position. He did this so that, one Annie would not get choked in her saliva, too her vital organs would be protected and three breathing will not be difficult since her airways had been cleared.

Having done this and apparently satisfied with what he had done, he called for those who would assist him take Annie to the hospital. Before this, he carefully scanned the wounds to see if it will constitute any danger to Annie. At the time when others arrived the scene, John who was apparently engrossed in how best to revive Annie. Gently, some of the bystanders helped him to carry Annie into a waiting car, which was used to convey her to the hospital. While at the hospital, John narrated to the medical staff how he met Annie, what he did to revive her and some of the signs he saw. This was the scene of accident painted by the Nigerian Red Cross Society instructor, Mr. Benson Agbro while taking some media on "First Aid Work Course" recently in Lagos. The programme, which lasted for three days, covered things that could be done to revive an accident victim. Agbro defined first aid as the state of the mind, proactive attitude and a set of actions and practices that seek to prevent, prepare for and provide an initial response in emergency situations. He also said that first aid is the initial assistance or treatment given to someone who is injured or who has suddenly taken ill before he or she is taken to the hospital. The aims of all first aid, according to him, are to preserve life, limit worsening of the condition and promote recovery. In preserving life, Agbro stated that, one needed to assess the situation, clear the airway to promote breathing and if breathing is not achieved, proceed to give the victim chest compressions and thereafter control bleeding if any.

In limiting the condition, one needs to examine the casualty. This will make the person to ascertain if the victim was either conscious or unconscious. In case of much causality, give priority to the very serious injured victims. "Treat multiple injuries in other of priority while considering the possibility of secondary condition. To promote recovery, you must relieve any discomfort, pain or anxiety while reassuring the victim and proceed to get medical help," he added. He stated also that in saving the life of an accident victim, the first aider must ensure that his or her own life is safe first.

"Look out for necked wires, or if there is petrol leakage from the tank of the vehicle before getting anywhere close to the victim," he said, adding that in case of fire, call fire fighters or experts in that area. Satisfied that ones life is not in danger proceed to assess the condition of the victim. Has the victim, a fractured borne or is he in shock. Having diagnosed the state of health of the victim, treat them in order of priority. "At the hospital, the first aider must tell what he was able to adduce at the scene of accident and what he did to revive the person. Remember, the victim is not to be assumed dead, it is only a doctor that can satisfy somebody dead," he explained. All first aid kits, according to him must include the following: easily identifiable water proof box, 20 individually rappel sterile adhesive dressings or plasters of assorted sizes, six medium sterile dressings, two sterile eye pads, six triangular bandages, six safety pins and disposable hand gloves.

In treating bleeding, he advised that the first aider must sit or lie the victim down, examine the wound, ensure that anything that could add pressure to the wound is removed before elevating the area.

In case of blood loss and shock, Agbro advised all first aiders to study the history of the victim. According to him, was the victim pale skinned or cool and moist skinned at the arrival time? Or has the victim weak and fast pulse, fast and shallow breathing or was the victim nausea and vomiting at the same time. Or was the victim tasty and asking for water or was he or she anxious and notice his or her level of response. "The aim of First aid is to provide Immediate but Temporary Care for a casualty who is ill or injured. Either you must get medical help to the casualty or the casualty to medical help. Stabilising, monitoring and evacuating casualties are issues you should consider before you have to deal with it," he added.

The subject of First Aid, according to him, covers a wide variety of topics too extensive to be mentioned in one day. While advising first aiders to obtain Information from a first aid manual or better still by receiving proper training, but that the purpose for organising the course was not to teach first aid, but to make the participants aware of the importance of having some knowledge of first aid techniques.

"First Aid is a practical subject and there is no substitute for practicing basic accident procedures and looking at specific issues that may arise before you are faced with the real thing. You can't ask a casualty to stop bleeding while you consult your manual because you don't know what to do next," he advised.

Every day, thousands of lives are lost and many more people suffer unnecessarily because of lack of knowledge as to how to prevent emergencies or because they are not provided with adequate and timely assistance. The situation could significantly change if more people were made aware of or trained in First Aid.
The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is the pioneer and the major player in First Aid.

People need to hear frightening but real stories about how in the event of a road crash, lack of FAB can lead to death. Any country that has a strong Health and safety culture ought to have a comprehensive FA policy.
Magdalene Dike, PATVORA Organisation, Nigeria

Accidents: NGO blames high deaths on lack of emergency kits
Daily Trust newspapers, 12th March 2007

An NGO, Community Resource Development Foundation (CORDEF), has blamed the high rate of deaths in road accidents on non-availability of emergency rescue kits. The chief executive officer of the organisation, Mrs Esther Walabai, told newsmen yesterday in Abuja that such kits would have saved a lot of lives in accidents. She said every Nigerian should be exposed to first aid kits both at home, in the work place and on the roads. Walabai said she was more disturbed by the current HIV/AIDS situation in the country, noting that people were at the risk of contacting the disease through blood contact during accidents. She said it was for this reason that CORDEF decided to inaugurate the Emergency Rescue/Protection Kits (ERPK), to be distributed to the public, especially commercial motorists on March 15. The introduction of the first aid kits, she added, would prevent direct contact with blood of accident victims and enhance rescue operations.

PATVORA To Save Accident Victims On African Roads Daily Independent Newspapers
Africa is perhaps, the worst hit when it comes to the rate of auto accidents. It is probably because of this unfortunate phenomenon that necessitated the coming of what is called Prompt Assistance To Victims Of Road Accidents (PATVORA). As a non profit making organisation and a major partner in the global fight against Road Traffic Injuries, PATVORA is involved in building capacity awareness for road safety in Africa, which is the continent that is most affected in terms of road safety crisis. The organisation provides through its website, opportunities and strategies for local and international road safety interests who intend to give support to the initiative, toward Nigerian national capacity for road fatality reduction and injury prevention. The organisation calls for concerned people and other bodies to put their own efforts in road safety promotions. It also call for the need to imbibe the culture of saving lives on rods, by learning and offering first aids assistance to victims of road mishaps, which goes a long way to preventing deaths.