Almost one in two Belgians has experienced a situation where first aid is required, but only one in four would be prepared to undergo first aid training, according to a survey commissioned by the Belgian Red Cross to mark World First Aid Day.
Yet 87% of the 1,000 respondents felt that this training was important, or even very important.
Every day, 30 cardiac accidents occur outside hospitals, the Red Cross points out in a press release. It takes an average of 10 minutes for an ambulance to arrive. That could seem fast, but it could be too long in some cases since human beings can survive for only a few minutes without a supply of oxygen, the association notes.
“With 49,000 people trained in first aid every year, an average of 555 a day, the Belgian Red Cross is a leader in the field,” explains Agata Bonsignore, who is in charge of first aid training at the relief organisation. “We advocate that first aid should be accessible to everyone, that at least one person in every household should be trained and able to take immediate action in an emergency situation.”
Internal statistics from the Belgian Red Cross show that 75% of learners are aged between 16 and 44. It is in Brussels (27%) that people take the most training, ahead of Hainaut (20%) and Liège (18%).
The survey also shows that the most disadvantaged social classes are the least trained, according to the Red Cross, which has set itself the objective of developing first aid training accessible to the most vulnerable people, such as prisoners, homeless people, and applicants for international protection.
World First Aid Day is celebrated each year on the second Saturday in September.
