Zimpapers Logo

Thupeyo Muleya Beitbridge Bureau

The Zimbabwe Red Cross is training scores of nurse aides across the country on basic first aid and related primary health care skills to support  government’s disaster response mechanisms.

The organization’s Secretary General, Mr Elias Hwenga said they have trained 90 Adolescent Girls and Young Women on basic nursing skills in Beitbridge, Mangwe and Gwanda districts in Matabeleland South.

He said the program was being supported by the Zimbabwe Health Interventions through the DREAMS (Determined: Resilient: Empowered: AIDS free: Mentored and Safe) RISE Program.

In a speech read on his behalf by Mr Stambuli Kim the organisation’s communication manager, during the graduation of 20 nurse aides in Beitbridge, he said the nurse aids underwent all the stages of training as well as the pre requisite three months’ attachment at various health facilities.

“Through this partnership, we have managed to train 20 Nurse Aides in Mangwe District, 20 in Gwanda and another 30 who are in the final stages of the nurse aide program,” said Mr Hwenga.

“We have also managed to populate the importance of First Aid in different spheres which include schools, workplaces and even for ordinary citizens.

“Acquisition of Basic First Aid skills is fast becoming a global trend after the realisation that lives were being lost needlessly when there are ways and means to save these precious lives”.

Mr Hwenga said graduating nurse aides had been equipped with first aid skills, as a humanitarian act, that applies to a broad range of medical situations.

In most instances, he said   appropriate first aid measures were enough without overwhelming hospitals and points of healthcare which should be left to deal and handle serious cases.

“The trained community members are now able to confidently assess their surroundings when disaster strikes and the knowledge of first aid promotes a sense of safety and well-being amongst people,” added Mr Hwenga.

“First aid is a lifesaving skill, which you can rely on at any given time, and there is need for all Zimbabweans to have basic knowledge of First Aid given that emergencies are a daily phenomenon.

It remains an integral component in our everyday lives, whether at home, school, workplace or travelling”.

He said it was also important for women to have basic first aid knowledge and skills as they are the ones who are exposed to the need for such services in most cases like at home, work, in the fields.

Beitbridge District Nursing Officer (DNO), Sister Monica Mbawa said the nurse aides’ role significantly contributes to the country’s health delivery system and ensures healthy communities.

She said the DREAMS program was premised on the positive youth development programming framework designed to equip them with key skills including vocational skills training, work readiness or soft skills and technical skills among AGYW.

“The outbreak of Covid19 pandemic has put a lot of pressure on the health sector globally, thereby increasing the need for qualified nurse aides to serve in both institutions and home-based nursing,” said Sister Mbawa.

“It is against this background that this project chose the Nurse Aide program as one of the courses for the Positive Youth Development.

These young women underwent three stages of training and learning for the duration of seven weeks and an additional three months’ attachment at various health facilities”.

She said the nurse aides had received adequate training and they met demands of the nurse aide job both locally and internationally.  @tupeyo