News – Road Safety Club Uganda
Mbarara -The Road Safety Club Uganda, has successfully conducted an intensive Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Life Support (ALS) training aimed at strengthening post-crash emergency response in Western Uganda. The training equipped the Club’s First Aid Response Team with essential life-saving skills to better serve communities in the region.
Participants received hands-on instruction in critical first aid management and the use of modern emergency rescue equipment. This included training in the operation of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) to restore normal heart rhythm during cardiac arrest, as well as bag-valve-mask ventilation with oxygen to support resuscitation efforts.
This advanced capacity-building initiative is vital for the effective management of severely injured road crash victims, particularly during transportation to referral health facilities. Several participants—drawn from referral hospitals and emergency service providers—shared real-life experiences where the absence of advanced life support skills limited their ability to save lives.
The training marks a significant milestone for Road Safety Club–Uganda Ltd.’s Community Ambulance Response Services (CARS) and directly contributes to strengthening post-crash care, a key pillar of the Global Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021–2030.
To further enhance rapid emergency response, the Club is now equipped with a fully fitted ambulance. The initiative has been reinforced through strong partnerships with government agencies, State House, Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital, the Association of Ambulances in Uganda, the Uganda Catholic Medical Bureau, Rescue.co (Kenya), and the Road Safety Advocacy Coalition Uganda (ROSACU).
Plans are underway to roll out similar trainings in other regions across the country, subject to resource mobilization for internationally accredited courses. “First aid and emergency response skills are critical in saving lives. Everyone trained in these skills plays an important role in society—offering hope and preserving life when every second counts. We call upon partners and stakeholders to work with us to expand emergency preparedness and training across communities,” Mr. Sam Thompson Mwesigwa, Executive Director, Road Safety Club–Uganda