Blanchisseuse and La Fillette residents first to get CPR training

THE drowning of four people in Blanchisseuse in recent months prompted villagers to seek first aid training from the North Central Regional Health Authority (NCRHA).

Working together with the Blanchisseuse Community Council, the NCRHA on Sunday launched the Community Partnership 1st Response (CPR) Training programme – an addition to its primary care services.

Forty-five villagers from Blanchisseuse and La Fillette participated in the inaugural six-hour course at the Blanchisseuse Community Centre.

In addition to practical and theory sessions in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and basic life support (BLS), villagers learned how to treat drowning victims, neck stabilisation, airway opening manoeuvres, how to apply slings/splints/pressure bandages, transporting the badly wounded and required items for a hiking survival kit.

Speaking with the media at the launch, council vice-president Treverlon Baptiste said, "having lost people to drownings in the last six to seven months, this type of training is needed here. I want to thank the NCRHA for doing this and for choosing to launch it in Blanchisseuse."

NCRHA CEO Davlin Thomas said the CPR "is just the beginning for us as we engage the community, training people to become first responders because they are the ones who can provide immediate help in an emergency or natural disaster...We intend to train 200 to 300 villagers. It will take three to four months to do so, after which, we will introduce CPR to Brasso Seco, Talparo and other rural communities."

Thomas noted that by engaging communities via its primary care services, the NCRHA has recoded a 53 per cent to 64 per cent reduction in visits to its accident and emergency departments.

"This modified first responder training compliments our ongoing programs such as Walk-The-Talk, In-Touch, Ready for the Road, Brother’s Keeper and The Great Pap Smear Campaign, by allowing us to successfully combat the growing incidence of non-communicable diseases, the fight against cancer and other health-related complications affecting our societies...The net effect is less cost and more efficient service," Thomas said.