World First Aid Day is celebrated every second Saturday of September each year and is observed to increase public awareness of how first aid can save lives.
This year's celebrations were held in Gweru with Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe Managing Director Munesuishe Munodawafa who was guest of honour saying many lives are saved through First Aid.
"We are living in trying times and every day we read about people dying mostly in road traffic accidents and this heightens the need for people to be trained in First Aid so that anyone who arrives at an accident scene before the ambulance can render lifesaving First Aid.
"First Aid becomes critical because every second counts in a crisis and professional medical help may not always be immediately available. And so, by taking action through effective first aid, many lives can be saved and impact of injuries lessened. Trained communities can provide basic medical care to treat minor injuries and preserve life until professional medical help arrives," said Munodawafa
ZRCS president Edson Mlambo said the society will continue to provide First Aid services.
"First Aid is fast becoming the most important with overwhelming evidence that in emergencies, 90 percent of lives are saved by people like you and me. You can be a hero by learning and providing first aid when the time comes.
"First aid used to be recognized as the domain of medical or para-medical personnel but today, all experts recognize that the general public must be trained in first aid, because it is effective in saving lives, improving the chances of survival and minimizing the consequences of a road crash or heart attack. As ZRCS we have made great strides in populating First Aid and will not stop until everyone has embraced it," said Mlambo
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Elias Hwenga secretary general for the society said working with communities has been an important mission for ZRCS.
"As a leading first aid services provider, the Zimbabwe Red Cross Society aims at responding to emergencies in all parts of the country and also to reach out to affected populations without discrimination. Our first port of call and at the heart of our mission is dissemination of first aid education and practices to make communities more self-reliant, safe and resilient.
"Working closely with our communities and building a safer world through using first aid with expertise and humility has become our single most important mission. Indeed, our value is for humanity, not for us as individuals. We do this by gaining trust and being accountable to our stakeholders," Hwenga said.
