LASODA PARTNERS SCIAN, RED CROSS TO RAISE AWARENESS ON SAFE ACCIDENT RESCUE PRACTICES 

The Lagos State Office for Disability Affairs (LASODA) has partnered with the Spinal Cord Injury Association of Nigeria (SCIAN) and the Lagos State Branch of the Red Cross Society to increase public awareness on best practices for rescuing accident victims during emergencies.

At a recent meeting with the Red Cross, Lagos Chapter, and SCIAN, the General Manager of LASODA, Mrs. Adenike Oyetunde-Lawal emphasised the need to educate the public on safe techniques for helping accident victims. She stressed that improper rescue methods could exacerbate injuries during emergencies.

Mrs. Oyetunde-Lawal said, “It is crucial that first responders are trained in the proper methods of rescuing accident victims. Too often, people are more concerned with recording incidents on their phones than actually offering help. Even those with good intentions often lack the necessary first aid knowledge. That’s why we must intensify our public education efforts”.

She further reiterated LASODA’s commitment to working with SCIAN and other disability organisations in Lagos to promote better awareness and understanding of these critical issues.

Mrs. Oyetunde-Lawal praised the Red Cross for their long-standing efforts and expressed LASODA’s readiness to collaborate further on public education campaigns focused on first aid and accident response.

Also speaking at the meeting, SCIAN Chairman, Mr. Abdul-Wahab Matepo, a spinal cord injury survivor, highlighted the dangers of mishandling accident victims. He explained that while initial injuries at the accident scene might be minor, improper transportation often leads to severe complications.

“Often, victims are transported to hospitals in ways that worsen their injuries. A road crash victim support fund should be created to ensure that accident victims receive proper medical attention without financial strain. Many victims are left without necessary medical checks, leading to avoidable complications”, Mr. Matepo said.

In response, the Branch Training Director,  Mr. Ige Oladimeji, acknowledged that while the organisation works closely with agencies like the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to educate them on best rescue practices, community members – often the first to arrive at accident scenes – lack essential first aid knowledge.

He said, “Many people don’t realise that accident victims, particularly those with potential neck injuries, should not be moved without proper evaluation. This lack of knowledge often causes more harm in the rush to transport victims to the hospital”.

The Red Cross is actively conducting public sensitisation programmes and looks forward to collaborating with LASODA to further educate the community on basic first aid techniques.

The Chairman of the Lagos Chapter of the Red Cross, Dr. (Mrs.) Victoria Adebola Kolawole noted that the organisation has designated the second week of September as a public awareness week, focused on educating the public on proper emergency response techniques.

Also present at the meeting were the Director, Administration and Human Resources, Mrs. Omolade Sonubi; Director, Monitoring Orientation and Evaluation, Mrs. Folusho Adeolu and the Head of Legal, Barrister Babatunde Safiu and members of the Spinal Cord Injury Association of Nigeria.