The Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Health District V, Dr. Oladapo Asiyanbi, has urged officers of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Neighbourhood Safety Corps and Teachers to make effective use of the state’s emergency toll-free numbers, which are 767 and 112, as first responders before the arrival of professional medical personnel.
Dr. Asiyanbi made this call during a two-day capacity-building training with the theme: “Training On Life-Saving Skills for First Responders” held recently at the Festac Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC) Conference Room.
He explained that the initiative was designed to equip first responders within Health District V with essential emergency care skills that can be deployed in real-time situations, particularly while carrying out their duties on highways and in communities.
According to the PS, “The purpose of the training is to ensure that when emergencies occur, especially on our roads or in our neighbourhoods, our officers and community leaders are not helpless. As such, they should have the basic skills required to stabilise victims and prevent avoidable deaths before expert help arrives”.
“Participants are expected to be trained on vital areas such as Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), first aid response, identifying danger signs, shock management, and ensuring personal safety while assisting”, he added.
Dr. Asiyanbi stressed that emergency care knowledge is not limited to professional health workers alone, but should be democratised across communities. He, therefore, challenged every participant to ‘step down’ the training by educating at least 50 individuals in their communities and workplaces, thereby multiplying the impact across the state.
He averred that, even if the knowledge passed on is not as in-depth, every effort made to empower others with life-saving skills can make a difference. It could be the reason someone survives an emergency.
The Permanent Secretary noted that the training is the first in a series of community-based emergency preparedness programmes to be rolled out by Health District V. He disclosed that plans are underway to extend the training to religious bodies, community associations, and non-governmental organisations to further widen the reach and ensure more lives are saved during everyday emergencies.
The training reflects the Lagos State Government’s commitment to building a health-conscious and responsive society where citizens are active partners in health and safety.
