40,000 people die in road accidents in Europe every year

First aid and road safety are being discussed at the annual European working group conference on first aid, being hosted by the Malta Red Cross Society at the New Dolmen Hotel in Qawra.

Sixty-two delegates from 27 European countries and four from the US are taking part in the conference, which started yesterday and runs till Saturday.

The conference includes discussions and workshops on making the necessary updates in the first aid syllabus as regards both techniques and teaching methods. New data, medical information and equipment are also updated.

Discussions on a project on road safety campaigns sponsored by the European Union for Red Cross national societies are under way.

The head of intra-community affairs division of the Red Cross EU office, Ute Mohring, said:

"A total of 40,000 people die in road accidents in Europe every year. Our aim is to change these figures by increasing awareness through road safety campaigns worldwide.

"Every member of the public should have basic first aid knowledge. If applied correctly, members of the public with this knowledge can help save lives."

An automated external defibrillator device, which is being imported by local agents Technoline, was also shown to the press during the conference.

The defibrillator, which is not new to local doctors, nurses and volunteer first aiders, can help save the life of a person suffering from cardiac arrest.

Cardiac Science Incorporation international clinical director Steve Jelfs said: "The defibrillator can provide continuous monitoring capabilities during and after cardiac arrest, thereby protecting the victim against the recurrence of a life-threatening arrhythmia following a resuscitation. The device also eliminates the need to check for the victim's pulse before attaching it, saving precious seconds during a rescue".

Malta Red Cross Society operations manager Mauro Pace Parascandalo said: "We are authorised to show people how to use this machine locally. It is quite simple to use, but we haven't yet been authorised by the Health Department to actually use it on cardiac arrest patients.

"A person suffering from cardiac arrest has more of a chance of surviving with the help of this device than with human resuscitation."

A three-minute road safety campaign awareness video featuring cartoon characters was also launched.

The main sponsors of the conference are the Ministry of Education and the Malta Tourist Authority.