Dr Benjamin Eniayewun, the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Health Service Commission has charged health workers to be well acquainted with Basic Life Support (BLS) procedure.
Eniayewun said at a training workshop on Wednesday in Lagos that being acquainted with the procedure was necessary to curb sudden death of patients experiencing spasms of cardiac arrest.
The training, holding at the Island Maternity Hospital in Lagos and focusing on basic life support techniques, was attended by 500 health personnel across the state.
The Permanent Secretary, described cardiac arrest as an unexpected loss of heart functioning, breathing and consciousness, often resulting from an electrical disturbance of the heart which if not medically checked, could result in death.
“As first responders, it is pertinent to be well acquainted with life-saving techniques to curb cardiac arrest episodes snuffling lives out of patients. Some patients featured sometimes without apparent indications, but with underlying health challenges. There is ample need for extensive acquaintance on Basic Life Support technique, through constant appraisal to ensure it is active, such that it could be deployed as often as possible when required to avoid untimely death of victims.
“All healthcare providers should imbibe this knowledge as a habit, irreverent of cadre, whether healthcare attendant or clinical staff to set off a pace of preserving victims’ lives until help arrives”.
The Permanent Secretary noted that associated illness in the society, often prompt cardiac arrest experiences, which could be salvaged from an absolute deteriorative state if help on Basic Life Support were sought.
He urged participants to cascade the knowledge acquired from the training at their various hospital.
Also, Dr Shola Pitan, Deputy Director, Directorate of Medical Services of the commission said the initiative was part of moves at improving the capacity of the trainees to tend the increasing healthcare standard of patients.
“There is need to improve the capacity of healthcare providers to tend the growing medical demands of the ailing public. This programme schemed under American Heart Certified (AHC) standard, tentatively valued less than two years validation, which will be reviewed thereafter. Clinical materials being used are in line with Standard International Instructors to train, using Mannequins and AED trainer ambo bags, aligned with strict COVID-19 protocols. So, standard precautionary measures are observed closely without fear of cross-transmission”.
The five-day training ends on Friday.
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