On the occasion of the World First Aid Day celebrated yearly on September 14th, the Red Cross Burundi has said there is a need to improve first aid services in the country.
Anselme Katiyunguruza: “First aid services are not enough in Burundi”
Anselme Katiyunguruza, Secretary General of the Red Cross in Burundi says first aid services are not enough in the country. “If there are no first aid services, people’s lives can be endangered,” he adds.
He says some groups of people are sometimes ignored in cases of first aid services. “People who are victims of travel accidents lack first aid services since many drivers and conductors do not know how to offer the services,” he also says.
Mr. Katiyunguruza says many families may not have any member who can offer first aid services.
He says the Red Cross plans a sensitization campaign throughout the country so at least one member of each family in Burundi should be able to ensure first aid services.
The Red Cross Secretary General says there is also a plan to teach emergency services to drivers, policemen and other groups of people who are likely to intervene in dangerous situations.
He calls on people to learn about first aid services so they can help victims of accidents before taking them to hospitals.
“Accidents are some of the main disasters in Burundi,” says Anicet Nibaruta, Deputy Director General of Civil Protection Police.
The civil protection police offer first aid services to all people who need them, he adds.
“However, there is shortage of materials, the reason why we sometimes fail to intervene when there is an accident or a problem in the lake,” he says.
Mr. Nibaruta says the Ministry of Security and Catastrophe Management keeps teaching policemen so they can be able to intervene whenever first aid services are needed.
He calls on drivers to respect driving regulations to prevent accidents which usually require first aid services.
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