Red Cross teams will conduct various demonstrations on Saturday on the occasion of World First Aid Day, the Red Cross announced on Friday. In Belgium, only two out of 10 drivers are able to administer first aid, whereas ambulances generally take on average eight and 15 minutes, in Brussels and Wallonia respectively, to arrive on the scene of an incident, the Red Cross noted.
The organization says it will ask the public to take care of false victims, such as a cyclist knocked down by a car or a worker with an open fracture on a worksite to test their knowledge of what to do in the event of a mishap.
Close to 50,000 people were victims of accidents in Belgium last year. “First aid is no substitute for the emergency services, but they are an essential step towards increasing one’s chance of survival,” the Red Cross noted, “it is not necessary to be a doctor or a professional rescue worker to save lives.”
People seeking to obtain drivers licences in the Brussels Region will have to complete a compulsory training in first aid from the 1st of November. However, the Red Cross is also organising training in first aid for people who already have licenses or who are from other regions.
Demonstrations scheduled for Saturday include one on pedestrian travel in Brussels. The press is invited to be at 11 a.m. by the Stock Exchange. A second demonstration is scheduled for 2.00 p.m. in the parking lot of the Cora de Messancy in Luxembourg Province. In the shopping mall, the public will be informed on Red Cross trainings with the involvement of Jean-Luc Fonck, holder of a European first aid license.
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The Brussels Times
