CPR for emergency situations

Sir: Your Metro publication of February 15, 2016 titled: “Valentine Tragedy:Assistant Commissioner of Police dies in Lagos Hotel” is a wake-up call to all Nigerians to learn the simple procedure using Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to save lives.

There is an urgent need to begin mass mobilisation and trainings in the application of First Aid in Nigeria during emergency situation. Every employee in Nigeria must be certificated on CPR to save more lives. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is important whenever tragedy of this magnitude occurs.

According to Mayo clinic, “Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a lifesaving technique useful in many emergencies, including heart attack or near drowning, in which someone’s breathing or heartbeat has stopped”.

According to Wikipedia on CPR, “Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, commonly known as CPR, is an emergency procedure performed in an effort to manually preserve intact brain function until further measures are taken to restore spontaneous blood circulation and breathing in a person who is in cardiac arrest”.

Mr. Osung Ekpo, an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) mysterious death was an avoidable incident, but unfortunately, Nigerians are still nonchalant to take good control of little things that matter concerning their health and lives. Our people died from so many avoidable deaths. We wail ignorantly with no clue on how to apply First aid in an emergency situation. Sadly, we have lost another resource from our Law enforcement agency in Nigeria. May his soul rest in peace.
*Yahaya Balogun,
Arizona , USA.