After a year of hiatus, Naga’s “Driver-First Aider” program has resumed.
At least 20 padyak (manual three-wheel) bicycle drivers learned basic life support (BLS) and first aid skills from the city government as part of efforts to capacitate public utility vehicles (PUV) drivers as first aid providers.
The training program mandated under Ordinance 2018-025 was first implemented in 2019. Refresher trainings will be conducted every two years to “make them always ready for immediate assistance on emergency situations.”
Section 7 of the ordinance also states that the application for PUV drivers’ identification cards or permits shall not be processed by the Public Safety Office (PSO) until they have joined the trainings.
Councilor Joselito del Rosario, author of the ordinance, said in an interview on Thursday that trimobile, padyak, and e-trike drivers who have skills on BLS and first aid will be able to respond to emergency situations that may happen in the streets or on the roads “while responders and medical personnel are on their way.”
Del Rosario cited two incidents in Barangays Abella and Calauag when the skills of two padyak drivers were used. One involved a minor heart attack and the other, a hypertension case.
Another documented account was the story of a tanod (watchman) in Barangay Igualdad where a rider applied cardiopulmonary resuscitation on a patient, who died five hours later in a hospital.
“The good thing here was that the first aid approaches are readily available on our streets or in public places even in our neighborhood when they are needed,” del Rosario said.
The free training is led by the Naga City Community First Responders Program Management Office in coordination with the PSO, Trimobile Task Force, Naga City Police Office, City Risk Reduction Management Office, and the City Health Office.
The program topics are chain of survival, role of the first aider, assessment of a casualty, support and rescue of a casualty, shock and unconsciousness, heart attack, cardiac arrest and cardiopulmonary resuscitation, severe bleeding, and burns. (PNA)
