JOURNALISTS should be equipped with basic first aid skills to help when cover violence and accidents.

Kenya Red Cross public relations and communications officer Peter Outa said the skills will benefit the journalists in ensuring safety during assignemnets.

Addressing a workshop in Mombasa for Red Cross workers and journalists, Outa said media professionals rarely help save lives during accidents due to lack of basic first aid skills.

"During accident at the Kenya Ferry, Red Cross officials could not give information and we had to wait for an official report from Nairobi," said Ahmed Bashir of Radio Salaam.

The officials called for good working relations between KRC and journalists to ensure information is accessible and life saving mission does not stop.