As part of an outreach program to connect with Ghanaians on the operations of the Service, the National Ambulance Service (NAS) Public Relations Unit and the Greater Accra Regional Administration have undertaken a series of activities to educate Ghanaians about the need to have some knowledge of basic first aid techniques.
One such activity undertaken by officials of the Service was an educational and training program held for pupils of Madonna Seat of Wisdom School at Ashongman Estate in Accra on Thursday, 3rd August 2023.
The pupils and their teachers were taken through Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), Choking Management, and Blood Control techniques, and over two hundred and fifty pupils and staff of the school benefited.
Mr. Simmons Yussif Kewura, the Deputy Director of Public Relations for the National Ambulance Service, educated the pupils on how the National Ambulance Service started.
“The National Ambulance Service was established in 2004 during the era of President J.A Kuffour, with the catalyst being the Accra sports stadium disaster, to strengthen the Emergency care system in Ghana.”
He told the children that NAS started with seven (7) Ambulance Stations in 2004 and can now boast of 296 across the country. Mr. Kewura disclosed that following the great work of the CEO of the Service, Prof. Ahmed Nuhu Zakariah, an Act of Parliament was enacted in 2020 to give NAS a legal backing.
He took the children through the core mandate of the Service, which is the provision of pre-hospital emergency care services to the populace, and stated that the Service also helps in public safety and during national disasters, adding that 112 is the number to call when there’s a need for an ambulance.
The Greater Accra Regional Administrative Manager for the National Ambulance Service, PAEMT Daniel Asare, highlighted that the main motive of the training is to equip the school with skills on how to handle emergencies.
“As part of the National Ambulance Service sensitization program, we want to equip you with basic first aid skills, and in case any emergency happens on your premises or even at home, you will be able to respond to it effectively,” he explained.
One of the organizers of the training, Mr. Dominic Ofosu, a teacher at Madonna School, stated that they have really learned a lot from the training, and it has positioned them well in case the need arises.
“We, the teachers, have also learned a lot from this Basic Life Support training. We now know the techniques to apply in case there is an emergency,” he added.
The National Ambulance Service is available to train schools, corporate organizations, and the general public on Basic Life Support Techniques.
