Peter Uzoho
As part of its corporate social responsibilities (CSR), Falck Prime Atlantic, a provider of safety survival and emergency response training for offshore companies has trained some domestic staff and drivers on how to help save lives during emergency situations.
The beneficiaries who came from different locations in Lagos were offered the training at no fee, during the first edition of Basic First Aid & CPR Training, an initiative of the company.
Using both participatory and observational approach, the beneficiaries were taught step by step method of resuscitating an unconscious victim or cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) while waiting for the arrival of a medical expert.
Giving more insights into the programme, the Director, Business Development, Falck Prime Atlantic, Folake Sanyonwo, said the initiative came out of the need to get more people trained, to be able to “save the next man during emergency situation,” noting that when one is able to save himself he can then save others.
She added: “We are all about safety, we are all about saving lives, and we are all about responding to health emergencies. This training is required because the opportunity to save lives is one that we should all be prepared for.
“How do we make sure that there is somebody that will know exactly what to do to help the next man? So we know with our population that it is a huge task but if we start now we can actually save one life at a time.”
Sanyanwo, however, explained that the decision to train domestic staff and drivers was very strategic, saying “every area that we have decided to go into is a strategic decision, we have thought it out. If I use myself as an example, if anything happens to me at home, who is going to help me? So you look at your domestic staff, you look at your drivers.”
She also said the company hopes to continue offering such training for a long term so that it would be remembered to have contributed to increasing the population of those out there that can actually help the next man.
Sharing his experience at the programme, one of the beneficiaries, Famour Favour, said the training opened his eyes to know more about first aid.
“What I heard about first aid was very narrow, I never knew it was this deep, I never knew that it is more than just giving someone paracetamol, putting on bandage. But today, I have got to understand what CPR is, what to do in case of an emergency, how to save myself first because I have to be saved before I can be able to offer help to another person.
“So I want to appreciate the company that actually brought this together, to say a big thank you and I wish they could also do this to all other people because ignorance is vast in our country.”
