By Adeola Kunle
The Federal Capital Territory Administration has launched a four-day Basic Life Support training programme for health workers drawn from seven hospitals across the Federal Capital Territory, as part of efforts to improve emergency care and reduce preventable deaths.
The training, holding at the Conference Hall of Asokoro District Hospital, is being conducted under the National Basic Life Support Training Programme approved by the National Council on Health for implementation nationwide.
Health personnel from Asokoro, Maitama, Wuse, Gwarinpa, Kuje, Kubwa and Nyanya hospitals are participating in the programme, which is certified by the American Heart Association.
The Mandate Secretary of the Health Services and Environment Secretariat, Dr Dolapo Fasawe, said the exercise was designed to provide participants with the skills needed to respond quickly to medical emergencies and deliver basic life-saving care before further treatment becomes available.
According to Fasawe, the initiative forms part of the FCTA's wider plan to strengthen emergency services in government-owned hospitals and minimise avoidable loss of lives.
She said the knowledge gained by the participants would also be extended to their colleagues and members of the public through the National Community CPR Initiative.
The mandate secretary added that the administration was committed to ensuring that health workers in the FCT remained informed about global best practices in emergency medicine.
Fasawe disclosed that plans were also underway to establish Code Blue Teams across hospitals in the territory to ensure faster intervention whenever patients require urgent medical attention.
“Our goal is to consistently record success stories from ‘no pulse to resuscitation’. When people know that they can receive timely and proper emergency care in our hospitals, it will also build their confidence and trust in government hospitals to respond swiftly and manage their loved ones,” she said.
She explained that the Basic Life Support training would later be expanded to other hospitals across the FCT. The administration would also provide the necessary equipment and other requirements to support emergency response and improve patient care.
At the end of the programme, participants are expected to undergo an assessment, while those who meet the required standard will receive certificates.
The Medical Director of Asokoro District Hospital, Dr Oluseyi Ashaolu, described the training as timely and important, noting that it would help health workers remain updated on global developments in basic emergency care.
He said the skills acquired could make a crucial difference in saving lives, particularly in emergencies where immediate and appropriate intervention determines whether a patient survives.
The training coordinator, Dr Rosemary Nwokorie, a consultant anaesthetist, said the programme was being organised in batches.
She explained that the first batch was scheduled to hold on August 21 and 22, 2026, while the second batch would take place on September 4 and 5.
Nwokorie added that participants would also undergo a “Stop the Bleeding” course, designed to train health workers on techniques for controlling severe bleeding in trauma patients before definitive medical treatment is provided.
The team of instructors is headed by Dr Onyedika Godfrey Okoye, a trauma surgeon at the Trauma Centre of the National Hospital, Abuja.
The FCTA said the programme represents part of its broader strategy to strengthen emergency healthcare services and ensure that health workers across its hospitals are properly equipped to respond whenever patients need immediate medical attention.
Adeola Kunle
No comments:
Post a Comment