Health tip: First thing to know about FIRST AID

 

 FIRST AID

 

 

Accident is an unfortunate, unexpected and unintentional event resulting into damage or injury. An emergency is a situation requiring urgent assistance. Accidents can occur anywhere and anytime. Time is crucial in these situations, knowing what to do and what not to do in these situations saves the life of an individual. First aid is the first line of action needed during accidents or emergencies that happen at home, offices, schools, and laboratories etc. which require immediate attention before taken to the hospital.

 

What is first aid?

             First aid is the first and immediate assistance given to an injured or sick person before the arrival of full medical attention or before been taken to the hospital. It aims preserving life, preventing further injury and promoting recovery. First aid is generally performed by someone with basic medical training. However, it does not necessarily require any particular equipment or prior knowledge and can involve improvisation with materials available at the time often by untrained people.

 

             Certain skills are considered essential to the provision of first aid and are taught universally. Particularly the “ABCs” of first aid, which focus on critical life-saving intervention, must be rendered before treatment of less serious injuries. ABC stands for Airway, Breathing, and Circulation. Attention must first be brought to the airway to ensure it is clear. Obstruction (choking) is a life-threatening emergency, a first aid attendant would determine adequacy of breathing and provide rescue breathing if necessary. Assessment of circulation is now not usually carried out for patients who are not breathing, with first aiders now trained to go straight to chest compressions (and thus providing artificial circulation) but pulse checks may be done on less serious patients.

 

How to act in an emergency situation

             In case of accidents or in emergencies where there are no trained personnel to help, one can easily save a life in 5minutes. These are what to be done:

 

1.      Make sure the environment is safe for both you and the casualty,

2.      Check for life threatening  conditions, check the ABCs ( airway, breathing and the circulation) while checking the level of consciousness of the casualty,

3.      Stop bleeding immediately; by using a clean cloth and apply pressure,

4.      Get others to help,

5.      Call for an ambulance,

6.      Gently check for other injuries or large wounds, immobilize fractures, and do not move individual unnecessarily.

7.      Place casualty in recovery position, in cases of neck or spinal cord fracture; do not move casualty.

8.      Check for medical identification tag that may indicate special medical care e.g hypertension,

9.      If the casualty is conscious, ask questions like; where pain he/she is feeling pain etc.

10.  Stay calm and reassure the casualty until medical attention arrives.

 

Basic principles of first aid such as knowing the use of adhesive bandage or applying direct pressure on a bleed, are often acquired passively through life experiences. However, to provide effective, life-saving first aid interventions requires instruction and practical training. This is especially true where it relates to potentially fatal illness and injuries, such as those that require CR (cardio-pulmonary resuscitation); these procedures may be invasive, and carry a risk of further injury to the patient and the provider. As with any training, it is more useful if it occurs before an actual emergency.  Training is generally provided by attending a course, typically leading to certification such as Red Cross.

 

Qualities of a good first aider

1.      Quick thinker

2.      Resourceful

3.      Composure

4.      Skillful

5.      Decision maker

6.      Efficient

7.      Reassuring

8.      Sympathetic

 

First aid kit

A first aid kit is a strong, durable bag which is commonly identified with a white cross on a green background that contains a collection of supplies and equipment used to give medical treatment. A well-stocked first aid should be kept in vehicles, workplace, at home, etc. The content of the first aid kit varies according to the emergency it will serve. Some of the contents include:

1.      Sterile dressings

2.      Bandages

3.      Triangular dressings

4.      Adhesives

5.      Disposable hand gloves

6.      Face-mask

7.      Mouth valve

8.      AED ( automatic external defibrillator)

9.      Antiseptic or antibiotic cream

10.  Scissors

11.  Cotton wools

12.  Safety pins

13.  Antiseptic lotions like hydrogen peroxide.

 

 

Common accidents and their first aid

1.      Burns; can be caused by thermal heat or corrosive chemicals or radiations. The first line of action is to immerse the affected area in clean cool water or running water to reduce heat or eliminate the chemical, remove soaked clothing carefully before the area stars to swell, immobilize the affected area, and give small cold drink or fluid at intervals if conscious. Lastly, immediately transfer casualty to the nearest health facility.

2.      Cuts from sharp objects; can be caused by a knife, broken bottle, and sharp ends of metal, wood or a nail. First, remove the of the object, wash area with clean water under a running tap, use a clean cloth to and apply pressure to the area in order to stop bleeding, elevate injured part and lastly,  transfer to a nearby health facility.

3.      Epistaxis; can be cause by a blow or a sign of medical condition. First, support the casualty in a sitting position with his head slightly forward (for fear of aspiration), instruct him to breathe through the mouth and pinch firmly the soft part of the nose for few minutes. Loosen tight clothing around the neck and chest, if bleeding continues, transfer to the nearest health facility.

4.      Asthma; sudden attacks of difficulty in breathing. First, move the casualty away from the trigger, loosen tight clothing around the neck and chest, position the casualty in a comfortable position usually sitting up. Reassure casualty and provide plenty of fresh air. Lastly transfer to a nearby health facility.

5.       Stings and bites; remove the sting using a sterilized forceps, tweezers or the point of a needle, apply antihistamine cream immediately if available or apply a cold compress to alleviate pain and quickly seek for medical help.

 

In conclusion, the main purpose of first aid is to save lives and minimize threat of death.  First aid done correctly should help reduce casualty’s pain during evaluation and treatment process. It is important to note that first aid is not medical treatment and cannot be compared with what a trained medical professional provides. First aid involves making common sense decisions in best interest of an injured person.

 

 Maryam Saleh wrote this, and can be reached @MaryamSalehN on Twitter.

 

 

Intriguing questions to answer before we ban Almajiri in Northern Nigeria

Before banning Almajiri system, answer these questions!

It is certainly clear that the COVID-19 have provided a golden opportunity to ban the Almajiri system by some Northern Governors in Nigeria, as the recurrent debate keeps going on again, in this article I provided a case presented by Late Tijjani El–Miskin over 20 years ago during a paper presentation at a conference organized at Arewa House on begging and destitution. In his presentation, El–Miskin well and strongly argued that the Almajiri bowl is a symbol of conscience.

 

I brought forward some of these arguments, raising questions which we must first sincerely answer before moving on to proscribe the Almajiri system banned, if at all it should be, when it could be well reformed.

 

By now the origin of Almajiri which was once a dignified – now humiliated system is well known, but we look at some of the factors responsible for the deterioration of such a noble system.

 

Almajiri or Tsangaya system collapsed after the 1914 amalgamation, the education system lost its political support and in-turn financial power with this British singular act of displacing Islamic tradition system of governance with a new arrangement in Northern (Nigeria) – This gave birth to bowl moving pupils.

 

Apart from the absence of budgetary support allocation to Tsangaya from the early 1900s, the system have faced attacks from colonial and post-colonial establishments, non-Muslim opponents, secular Muslim elites, and other Islamic organizations, this due to rivalry, ignorance, and abhor of embarrassing begging.

 

Arguments

 

A.     Falling standard

Dr. El-Miskin (Later Prof.) in his 1997 conference paper confessed that the standard of Tsangaya education have fallen quiet below expectations, but the lone fact that these schools have survived all these years with zero budget support from Government deserves some accolade.

 

Even the ‘Boko’ schools which has enjoyed billions annually from Federal, State and/or Local Government, and International organizations & other bodies, primary and secondary education have fallen to a disastrous and similar embarrassing level. As a result, private and foreign schools have become the alternative source of good education. The budget-less survival of Tsangaya and production of fine graduates of international reputation despite orchestrated campaign against the system should be studied by our public schools.

 

B.     Breeding grounds for criminals and beggars

Another allegation levelled against Almajiri is the breeding of criminals, El-Miskin cited the Maitatsine as a case and believed that there exists some bad eggs among the Almajiris, but the Tsangaya system have no monopoly of such bad eggs. These sets of unintended non-exemplary graduates are common with western-oriented school’ students, drop-outs and graduates.

These outcasts produced by Boko schools are responsible for the massive corruption, misappropriation of public funds and loss of lives in Nigeria over the years. The criminal activities perpetrated by western oriented and trained elites is in much greater proportion than the horrible activities of Tsangaya students. Should we ban the Boko system too because it has bred looters, corrupt politicians, and yahoo boys who have little to do with Almajiranci?

 

C.     Street roaming and bowl carrying-pupils

Almajiri are notoriously known for constantly carrying subsistence bowls in order to survive. These poor kids have been charged and found guilty of being a disgrace to the society. El–Miskin offers a different dimension, providing a balanced view of the matter. The society which should provide meal to these students have abandoned them, leaving them no option than beg to survive.

 

Attacking the kids’ street begging is merely discussing the symptom without addressing the real disease of lack of basic sustenance. Provision of welfare such system such as the Zakat and Waqf will readily address this menace which is clearly a product of Anti-welfarist injustice, which expelling the kids out of the street will not ultimately do.

 

If begging means soliciting of resources directly or indirectly, then the elites today engage in disguised forms of begging under different names. While the Almajiri is forced to beg for basic sustenance, these elites; politicians, musicians, entertainers, and other white-collar beggars resort to begging to accumulate surplus resources in the name of contracts (inflated), selling products at a much higher price ‘lunching’, and fund raising. Government are not left out, disguised as technical assistance, appeal funds, disaster relief, subsidies, cut, cooperation, and other forms institutional begging under bilateral agreements.

 

Solutions

 

Finally, it is fair to say the Tsangaya system of learning which have succeeded well in some countries could be reformed for good. El–Miskin’s about 30 – page paper preferred some solutions to turn the roaming Almajiris to productive individuals who contribute to economic development and dissemination of culture and as well serve as agents of education.

 

a.       Tsangaya system should be recognized as a form of formal education and as so be specially funded. Government should also make provisions for facilities and study materials.

b.      Spreading of reading and writing in Arabic and Ajabi in order to eradicate illiteracy.

c.       Relevant authorities should identify destitute pupils and come to their aid.

d.      Zakat and Waqf system should be introduced.

e.       Address the female education system problem.

f.       Recognition of Tsangaya Qur’an products – A hafiz should be accorded the status of a Bachelor Degree holder – this will provide employment and spread Islamic education.

 

Article re-presented by Muhammad Malumfashi in July 2020. Tijjani A. El-Miskin, a prominent scholar and professor of Islamic Studies died in 2015 in Saudi Arabia. May Allah accept him in Aljannah.