Seplat Energy Plc, an independent oil and energy company, has partnered with Health Emergency Initiative (HEI) to build the capacity of secondary school students on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and First Aid skills.
Mr Pascal Achunine, the Executive Director of HEI, made this known in a statement on Friday in Lagos.
He said that more than 30 secondary schools across the six districts in Lagos benefited from the CPR and First Aid skills necessary to handle pre-hospital emergencies.
While appreciating the goodwill of the Lagos State Government, he said that a total of 83 students from the six educational districts participated in the programme.
He said that First Responders Clubs would now be set up in the schools in line with the ‘Train the Trainer’ model of the scheme.
According to him, activities such as essay competition, quiz and debates will be instituted in the schools to foster lifesaving culture in the state.
Dr Chioma Nwachukwu, Director, External Affairs and Sustainability, Seplat Energy Plc, said that the organisation was concerned about empowering the youth.
Nwachukwu said that the organisation also touched the lives of its host communities by keying into the lifesaving initiative.
She added that CPR/First Aid skills were needed by all and were very critical to save lives during pre-hospital emergencies.
She urged other corporate organisations and individuals to adopt laudable corporate social responsibility initiative by sponsoring more students.
According to her, HEI has a proven track record in transparency, accountability and project implementation.
She assured of increased collaboration with HEI to expand the footprint of its lifesaving initiatives.
Also, the Lagos State Commissioner for Education, Mrs Folashade Adefisayo, applauded Seplat Energy Plc for its huge investment on young talents.
Adefisayo, who was represented by Mr Femi Ashaola, said that the scheme was capable of creating systemic change from the current negative culture of taking pictures and videos at the scene of emergencies instead of assisting the victims.
The commissioner noted that it was this noble objective that informed the approval of the programme by the Ministry of Education for HEI to train all senior secondary school students in Lagos earlier in the year.
Adefisayo expressed profound gratitude to Seplat Energy Plc for the huge support.
“Especially its commitment to the sustainability of its operating environment, bearing in mind that any investment in young people would translate to business continuity,” she said.
First response is the immediate treatment or care given to someone suffering from an injury or illness until more advanced care is accessed or they recover.
HEI designed the First Responders Scheme to create a community and network of trained and passionate people to attend to emergencies such as road traffic accidents and cardiac arrest.
Others include heart attack, fainting, seizures, internal bleeding, bites, poison, burns, wounds and choking especially during the first one hour (Golden Hour) of the incident.
