Kwara FRSC trains officers, public on trauma handling

The Kwara Sector Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), in collaboration with the Hope Alive Trust Organisation, on Monday in Ilorin, trained its officers and the public on trauma management and handling of road accident victims.

The Sector Commander, Mr Uchechukwu Wihioka, while speaking with newsmen on the sidelines of the workshop, said that it was necessary to train officers and the general public on how to handle trauma caused by crashes on the road.

“The participants are not only the military and para-military, there are communities members who are usually the first responders to crashes.

“The youths from some of these communities are here, to be trained on how to ensure that they reduce trauma affecting victims of road crashes.

“And we expect that from time to time we will assemble for workshops like this, maybe quarterly, so that we can assess our performance at the end of every quarter.

“Crash does not give warnings, but when it happens and there are victims, you should know what do at anytime.

“Road safety is not FRSC business alone, it is a collective measure, so we should be knowledgeable about what we should do on the road when we come across crashes.

“What applications do you put in place to save at least a life in a traumatic situation?

“Trauma is a vast issue, it is the first assistance that we are talking about, how to manage what has been damaged already, you have to give hope and life to such a people,” he said.

On road traffic crash reduction, Wihioka said “we have successfully reduced the rate of road crashes in Kwara because of close monitoring by corps at least by 45 per cent.

“But we can do more, so when you come across a crash, don’t be in a hurry to run or leave the scene, the moment you stop you can save a life, so the essence of this workshop is for all of us.

“Even the press, when you come across a crash, you should be able to manage that victim.”

He encouraged Nigerians to be safety conscious.

In another interview, a trained emergency specialist and member, Hope Alive Trust, a charity organisation based in the United Kingdom, Dr Olayinka Shittu, said that the first responders are the road marshalls and they should have the right to proper education on trauma handling.

“The first time we did this, we invited the road safety officers and paramedics, but we realized people are dying on the roads, so the need for road marshals to know what to do in order to reduce mortality.

---

“People rush to accident scenes because they want to help, but the truth is that sometimes, how we respond, which is naturally out of concern or fear of losing them, we cause more harm to them.

“We are happy that there are members of the transport community here, it’s important that they also know what to do when face with crashes on the road.

“Road users and pedestrians also need to hear and be aware of these road safety measures.

“Vehicles are very dangerous weapons on the road and it is how well you use it that matters. They must know how well the car is and how they are managing it on the road.

“We have four sessions where we would have basic life support, if someone stops breathing what do you do, and a session to talk about bleeding, what to do to stop the bleeding.

“Another session on how to move the patients and another whereby you know how to protect yourself from being infected by the victims in any case they may be infected with HIV or Hepatitis.

“So, as you help the patient you are also protecting yourself, so these are the education we are here to provide today.

“And from today we are going to be giving free treatment to the public for the next three to four days,” Shittu said.

A member of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Mr Muideen Musa, said that the workshop was an eye opener, adding that it enlightened them on actions to take when faced with crashes.

“I now know better, before now, we are usually confused, and we try in our own little knowledge to help or we begin to call for help, which may not come on time.

“So it is good that today we get to know more about what to do and we hope that workshops like this are organised frequently.

“We appreciate the FRSC and the Hope Alive Trust organisation, God bless them”, he said.

Hope Alive Trust Charity Organisation has been running charity in Kwara since 2011 and will be giving free medical services to the public from April 15 to April 17.

Present at workshop were members or the Kwara Road Transport Management Agency (KWARTMA), Prison Service, the Army, NURTW amongst others.