The Akwa Ibom State government has commenced moves to equip its top officials on life saving skills in emergencies to prevent any patient from dying from a cardiac arrest. This includes proper knowledge and information on how to save lives in an emergency.
This is in line with the belief that the responsibility of saving lives, especially in a case of cardiac arrest is the duty of everyone.
Augustine Umoh, Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Health who spoke during a 4-day training on Basic Life Support (BLS) and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) organised for top Government functionaries and their aides in Uyo, the state capital said the benefit of CPR knowledge was crucial in saving lives.
“No one is praying for a cardiac arrest, it is important to equip government functionaries and all their aides with this simple but very important skill,’’ he said.
Umoh, a professor of medicine who spoke during a training organised by the state government in conjunction with medical firm reiterated the state government’s commitment towards maintaining and sustaining a healthy workforce.
According to him, the training was in compliance with Governor Udom Emmanuel’s directive, who “had always demonstrated sincerity in catering for the health needs of his people, irrespective of social class.”
He explained that the government, in its wisdom, had extended the training to the aides, of government officials “because one who suffers a heart attack would need the nearest person around him to save his life and this does not have to be a medical personnel.”
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The Commissioner enjoined the participants to pay rapt attention to the training and implored them to put the knowledge to practice on occasions of necessity.
In his remarks, the facilitator of the training, Mark Edubio of Deau Propre, said a cardiac arrest could happen anytime, anywhere and to anyone adding that 88% of cardiac arrests occur at home, and that 90% of the patients die because the nearest person did not know what to do.”
He lauded the Akwa Ibom State Government for identifying the need to equip the top echelon of the State Government functionaries as well as their aides with the life-saving skill.
Udobio cautioned the participants that a CPR could double or triple a victim’s chances of survival, while charging them to be vigilant at all times adding that his organisation has trained not less than 400 medical personnel since 2015.
Participants included Commissioners, Chairman of Boards, Permanent Secretaries and their aides.
Meanwhile the state government has announced plans to take part in the integrate measles vaccination campaign setting a target coverage of 95 percent.
Margaret Etim, a director with the state primary health care development agency made this known during a meeting with stakeholders in the state saying the campaign was targeted at children from 9 months to 59 months, in addition to the Routine Immunization which she said was meant for children from birth to 23 months.
She said the integrated measles vaccination campaign would also afford residents the opportunity to be immunized against COVID-19 which she said was for people who are 18 years and above.
She called on parents to avail themselves of the campaign which she said would be conducted in health facilities and designated centres including churches and market spaces to take their children for the immunization exercise.
The exercise starts on October 30th and ends on November 14th.
