National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has trained health workers and the general public in the North Central Geopolitical zone of the country on life-saving skills aimed at stabilizing individuals experiencing cardiac arrest.
Sen. Ahmed Wadada, (APC, Nasarawa West) declared the two days Nationwide Advanced and Basic Cardiac Life Support training workshop open in Keffi local government area of Nasarawa state on Wednesday.
Our correspondent reports that the two-days workshop which is on July 16 and 17 is in collaboration with the Damilola Adeyemo Cardiovascular Foundation (DAC-FOUND) and the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Keffi.
Participants were trained on the Basic Life Support (BLS) which includes techniques such as Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and using an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) and Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) which involves more advanced medical procedures, medications and techniques.
In his address, Wadada represented by his Senior Legislative Aide, Mallam Ismaila Nuhu described the training workshop as timely and essential in enlarging the pool of trained health workers and members of the public on emergency procedures used to stabilize and treat individuals experiencing cardiac arrest or other cardiovascular emergencies.
“My charge to you both trainers and trainees is to both make concerted efforts in breaking all barriers which has been obstructing easy access to medical services in this country, particularly services that has to do with the teeming number of citizenry living in villages,” he said.
He urged the association not to only focus on the cardiological issues but also champion safer ways of handling gynaecological and paediatric issues in various health facilities across the North Central Geopolitical zone and the country at large.
He however warned that if the trainees especially health workers are not well equipped with necessary working tools, equipment and welfare packages commiserate with their weight of responsibilities, their performance may not be adequate in saving lives of cardiac arrest victims.
“To nip this ugly and negative scenario in the bud, I am urging the management of all tertiary health facilities in this country to do the needful by riding to the occasion.
“On our part as the political class, we will do all that is necessary within our purview to render all the necessary moral and financial assistance in support of effective healthcare services to our people,” he said.
In his remarks, Dr Tope Osundara, President of the association said because of how impactful the skills are in saving lives of individuals experiencing cardiac arrest, the association decided to organize the workshop across the country for everyone who is interested in participating free of charge.
Osundara represented by his first Vice President, Dr Tajudeen Abdulrauf then implored the management and staff of FMC Keffi in helping to achieve success with the workshop so that more individuals can have the basic skills useful in assisting individuals experiencing cardiac arrest.
Dr Samuel Ejembi, NARD National Coordinator, BLS/ACLS, Paediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) Project said aside Nasarawa state in North Central zone, the association has already trained participants in the South South, North East and South East geopolitical zones on the skills.
“When we were in Abia state, the government domesticated the training and insisted that every staff on the state’s ministry of health must have a BLS training to be able to be promoted,” he said.
Mr Damilola Adeyemo, Executive Director, Damilola Adeyemo Cardiovascular Foundation (DAC-FOUND)a Non-Governmental Organization said after a survey done in 2020, the NGO discovered that one out of ten doctors cannot give high quality CPR hence the need for regular training to entrench CPR skills in health workers and other members of the public.
“The reason is that some of them have not been trained in the last ten years, some others in the last five years and without regular training you cannot deliver quality care,” he said.
He said the outcome of the survey prompted the NGO to collaborate with NARD in 2020 to start the workshop of training health workers and the general public on skills aimed at stabilizing individuals experiencing cardiac arrest.
In an interview, Dr Yahaya Baba-Adamu, Medical Director, Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Keffi said the BLS is expected to give both medical and non medical citizens the ability to give the first response if there is any medical emergency.
“This BLS is an essential skill for any medical emergency be it at home, in the farm, in the football field or any other place. It is essential for everyone, moreso health workers.
“The second part of the training is the ACLS which is typically rendered to medical professionals. So the essnce of this training is not just to train medical professionals but also everyone willing to learn the skills. I am grateful to NARD and ARD in FMC Keffi for this wonderful initiative,” he said
Also speaking, Dr Ashimom Msughter, President, Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) FMC Keffi said the training will go a long way to change the response especially from the public towards cardiac arrest situations.
“We have watched in the past on television the shameful approaches when an individual collapses. People didn’t really know what to do and when it comes to cardiac arrest, time is very important.
“So this training is aimed at equipping us with what we need to do as first line responders because when somebody slumps, it’s not the time to start thinking of the hospital to rush the person to.
“You are supposed to start resuscitation immediately while you sent for the hospital team to arrive and transport the person in a better situation,” he said.
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