Uganda: Health Ministry Urges Ugandans to Learn Basic Emergency Response Skills
The Ministry of Health has commended Jefrat Health Hub Ltd for promoting public awareness and basic emergency response skills as part of efforts to strengthen emergency medical services in Uganda.
The Commissioner for Emergency Medical Services at the Ministry of Health, Dr. John Baptist Waniaye Nambohe, made the remarks while flagging off a community emergency medical awareness campaign spearheaded by Jefrat Health Hub in partnership with emergency response stakeholders.
The initiative seeks to equip members of the public with basic knowledge on how to respond to emergencies such as road accidents, fires and other incidents requiring immediate intervention before professional medical help arrives.
The campaign has been rolled out in markets and other public spaces in different parts of the country, targeting communities in high-traffic areas.
Communities urged to learn emergency response skills
Commissioner Nambohe urged the organisers to prioritise safety and discipline as the campaign expands, noting that members of the public can play an important role in the initial response to emergencies.
“Communities need to be equipped with basic emergency response skills so that they can take the right action before professional medical help arrives,” Nambohe said.
He also called for wider dissemination of ambulance contact numbers and greater public awareness about the emergency medical services available to communities.
Nambohe further suggested the possibility of establishing a National EMS Hour, which would provide a dedicated platform for educating the public about emergency medical services and appropriate responses to emergencies.
He encouraged Jefrat Health Hub and its partners to extend the campaign to more regions of the country.
“We need to take this initiative to different parts of the country so that more Ugandans can benefit from emergency medical response knowledge and skills,” he said.
Campaign targets public spaces
Jeremiah Kirungi, CEO of Jefrat Health Hub Ltd, said the campaign is intended to help communities understand both how to prevent emergencies and how to respond when they occur.
He urged people who frequently spend time in busy public places to remain alert and acquire basic skills that could help them assist victims while waiting for professional responders.
“We are taking this initiative to different parts of the country because we want communities to understand how they can prevent emergencies and how they can respond quickly when someone is in danger,” Kirungi said.
Kirungi said the campaign was partly inspired by emergencies affecting communities across the country, including incidents involving schoolchildren.
He also acknowledged organisations supporting the initiative, including the Uganda Red Cross Society, for their role in community sensitisation and emergency preparedness.
“We appreciate all the organisations that have partnered with us, especially the Red Cross and others, for helping us reach communities and teach people how to prevent accidents and respond effectively when emergencies occur,” he said.
The campaign is expected to continue in markets, public spaces and other high-traffic locations as the organisers seek to increase public knowledge of emergency prevention and basic first response.
The organisers say the initiative is aimed at encouraging communities to take appropriate action during the critical period between the occurrence of an emergency and the arrival of professional emergency medical services.
By Nile Post.
