Anambra Assembly wants First Aid education included in schools’ curricula

The Anambra State House of Assembly has passed a resolution calling for the inclusion of first aid education and emergency life-saving skills in the curricula of schools in the state.

This was contained in a motion moved under Matters of Urgent Public Importance by Mr Anthony Muobike, representing Aguata Constituency II, at plenary on Tuesday.

Muobike described first aid and life-saving skills as the initial practical response procedures for managing medical emergencies before moving patients to the hospital.

He said the lack of basic life-saving skills and equipment had led to countless fatalities in the state and country.

“Medical emergencies do not choose their time, location, and victim; and delays can lead to serious outcomes including loss of life.

“It is worrisome that a major cause of death during such emergencies is absence of someone with elementary lifesaving skills.

“But, if we introduce first aid education and basic life support training in our school curriculum, it will build a new generation of citizens with skills that will save lives and improve victim survival during emergencies.

“When people are equipped with these skills, they will be able to respond appropriately to emergencies instead of using their phones to take pictures or record videos,” Muobike said.

In his views, Mr Anayo Okpalaeke, representing Aguata Constituency l, said that the introduction of first aid education would help children get acquainted with safety measures.

“It is good to catch them young and help our children see first aid as a vocation. It will also bring out the humanity in them, so that they can willingly help in time of emergencies,” he said.

Contributing, Mr Jude Omennajiego, representing Onitsha South Constituency ll, said the introduction of first aid in the school curriculum was a functional education that would suit the needs of the society.

Fredrick Ezenwa, representing Onitsha South Constituency l, said that first aid education would instill a culture of safety, critical thinking, and problem-solving in schoolchildren.

The Speaker of the House, Somtochukwu Udeze, urged Gov. Chukwuma Soludo to direct the Commissioner for Education to include basic life-saving training and first aid education in the curricula of primary, secondary, and tertiary institutions in the state.