The Head of Special Operations Unit of the National Ambulance Service, Al Hassan Mohammed Mashud, has advised the public not to give water or food to accident victims until they arrive at the scene.
“The only thing you can give is glucose,” he stated.
He said this in an interview with GhanaWeb, explaining that the glucose is only meant for those who are hypoglycemic.
He further explained that victims of accidents might be having internal bleeding, which people might not be aware of until they are taken back to the hospital to ran lab tests or scans.
Mashud added that it is not advisable to move accident victims without the services of the ambulance team.
This, he said, is the right thing since it will prevent any further harm to the victim, adding that “You can only guide those who can walk away from the scene to a safe place.”
Mashud further explained that when victims are mishandled, it can lead to paralysis or even death.
He also urged the public not to use ice block to stop bleeding when the person is injured, but rather use handkerchiefs or cloth to put pressure on it.
He explained that the ice block will clot the blood and can cause cardiac arrest.
The health expert also disclosed that when a person collapses, the first thing to do before the ambulance team arrives is to check for responsiveness.
“Call the person’s name, check beneath the laryngeal prominence (Adams apple) if it’s beating. If it is, do 30 chest compression, give two rescue breath in order resuscitate the person. When the person is revived, do not allow them to lie on their back but rather on their left or right until the ambulance team arrives. The number to reach the ambulance team is 112.
“We need more ambulances due to the breakdowns of some of them,” he added.
Al Hassan Mohammed Mashud also advised the public against prank calls, which he said denies access to those who really need them, adding that sometimes, those who call don’t also give them exact locations and landmarks, hence the delay in their arrival.
Source: www.ghanaweb.com
