First aid course empowers Umkomaas community

An elderly man in Umkomaas narrowly escaped death after suffering a heart attack last month.

Thanks to the quick action of community members – with oxygen supplied by Blue Ocean, the support of Nicky’s Restaurant, and the intervention of former Johannesburg paramedic Carol Smith – the man was stabilised on scene.

This incident has highlighted concerns in the community about delayed emergency response times.

“I worked for a municipal emergency service for 12 years and we were always short-staffed,” said Smith.

“Our ambulances often did not have the necessary equipment to deal with emergencies. I think it is the same around the country. The more first aiders we have, the better the chances are to save lives and improve the quality of life.”

After this recent incident, Smith and local partners launched a first aid awareness drive, encouraging residents to equip themselves with lifesaving skills.

A basic first aid course was held at Nicky’s Restaurant last Tuesday, and all community members were welcome to join at a small fee of R50 or a blanket donation (all for charity).

This was an entry-level community course, designed to empower people with essential first aid knowledge.

The organisers stated that the training session went well overall, and the money received from this initiative was used for a food parcel for a single mother with four children to support.

It is hoped that more locals will show an interest in awareness drives such as this one; and the organisers mentioned that there is a possibility of another training session in the near future.

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