UAE: Female security guard saves man in critical condition

CPR can save lives, and a security guard at RAK Hospital proved just that when she managed to save a man who arrived in critical condition to the hospital.

Deborah Oyewole, who is trained in a high-quality basic life support certified programme at RAK Hospital, said: “It is so overwhelming to save someone."

RAK Hospital offered the programme to 100 security guards across the emirate in a bid to create first-aid heroes equipped to handle health emergencies and provide first-aid.

Oyewole managed to help a man soon after she received the training. The Nigerian said the training not only helped the 100 guards learn how to perform CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation), but also made them courageous and confident to act with lightning speed during emergencies.

Stanley Atuchukwu, who works at RAK Security Services, said the training has helped them give back to society. “The training has taught us how to perform CPR accurately, and it is step-by-step learning. I will undertake the advanced training which will help me give back to the community.

“I am now confident of offering my help in case I encounter any emergencies,” added Atuchukwu.

CPR – or Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation – is an emergency lifesaving procedure that can save a person who has suffered cardiac arrest (when the heart stops beating). A study says that 9 in 10 people who have a cardiac arrest outside hospital die, but immediate CPR can double or triple their chances of survival.

Statistics also show that 80% of deaths from injuries can also be prevented by administering first aid. In addition, getting first-aid helps to reduce a person’s recovery time and can make a huge difference between the patient having a temporary or long-term disability.

A demo CPR process was performed by the newly trained security guards at an event held at the RAK hospital.

Dr Amin Hussain Al Amiri, assistant undersecretary for the Medical Practice and License Sector in the UAE Ministry of Health, who was present at the event, said: “This is a great initiative, and we will be looking to train and certify security guards all over the country,” said Al Amiri.

Al Amiri added the first-of-its-kind initiative where security guards will become trained CPR practitioners, even as they stay of their toes — literally — across the emirate.

The campaign that will cover Ras Al Khaimah, will be taken to other parts of the UAE, creating first aid heroes across the UAE . Security guards placed across workplaces, residential apartments and villas, schools, shopping malls, industries, and other businesses will be trained in batches to cover all emirates.

Dr Raza Siddiqui, executive director, RAK Hospital, said that security guards are the most common link across across UAE and are to be found in all kinds of facilities, thus making them perfectly suited to work as first responders in case of emergencies.

“The goal is to arm them with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to identify situations that need immediate help, along with the skills to initiate first aid and basic CPR until emergency services arrive,” added Dr Siddiqui.

“In emergencies, response time is critical. Every second counts, so it is essential to have the right skills. Moreover, recognising the signs of someone in medical distress and then being able to assist them can mean the difference between life and death. It has also been seen that without proper first aid, a simple injury could become fatal”, said Dr Jean M Gauer, CEO of RAK Hospital.

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