AIDING THE INJURED

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19334, 26 May 1937, Page 11

AIDING THE INJURED

ROADSIDE STATION PLAN W K LLING TON -M A N AAV ATI I A proposal to.establish roadside firstaid posts between Wellington and i'almerston North at 10-mile intervals on ;i trial basis has been submitted to the Minister of Transport, according to the annual report of the Wellington centre ol the St. John Ambulance Association. "As an example of what has been done in Canada, one road of about 3Gv. miles from Montreal to Toronto, which is a. very busy one, was selected for the establishment of six.posts us a demonstration to the Government as to the possibilities," states the report. "An inspection after three months operation showed that all equipment was well cared for, wis kept in a convenient place for use, and 106 accidents had been treated and recorded in the case-book. "It is anticipated that no difficulty will be experienced in securing volunteers to take chargie of these first-aid posts and it should be possible to select people for the work whose living is obtained from road traffic—service stations, tearooms, etc. A further suggestion was made that no such station would be opened or equipment issued until at least four persons in the immediate neighbourhood are certificated as first-aiders.

Free Advice Offered "Advantage has been taken by many large and small firms of the association's offer to give free advice in connection with the fitting out of ambulance rooms and suitable first-aid equipment to be carried for the various classes of work. This offer lias been availed of throughout the year, and many letters of appreciation received. It is pointed out that the duty of an employer does not end in permitting members of his staff to take first-aid training, but in the interests oi bis company he should frequently and persistently teach and administer, by eneoumging all employees to keep handy first-aid material and know how to nst> it. This is not. merely a mailer of sentimental humanity, it is not merely lightening the burden of the surgeon's duty nnd responsibilities, it means the saving of life to the company out of all proportion to the outlay. "In South Africa, for example, the railway authorities expend approximately jCbCCO'annually for the training of their employees and for general first-aid equipment. First, aid, from a commercial point of view, is therefore not only a matter of saving life, but moneysaving to employers of labour. "First aid for motorists needs only to be mentioned for its importance to he Agreed upon. The daily papers are full of reports of road nnd household accidents, and if motorists could be encouraged to carry first-aid equipment, iind also have a knowledge of how to use such equipment then a further practical step toward alleviating human suffering would be brought about."