There’s a lot more to helping road accident victims than just trying to patch them up.
You need to know how to help them the proper way. Despite our best intentions, sometimes rushing to the victims’ rescue uninformed could aggravate the situation.
Being aware of this, a veteran first-aider imparted some valuable lessons on how we can all be better lifesavers.
Following an incident at Bukit Timah Expressway (BKE) on Tuesday (18 Jun) morning, Mr Razali Raihayu, a certified first-aider, posted his rescue experience on Facebook.
Here are a few key takeaways from his brief but helpful post. Spread the word, Singaporeans.
It all started with a chain collision on BKE in the morning, which resulted in a motorcyclist getting flung off his bike.
Snippets of the accident’s aftermath were recorded on Mr Razali’s body cam as he happened to pass by.
Driving a motorbike himself, Mr Razali stopped safely at the road side to help the injured man.
Mr Razali said while he was rendering first aid to the wounded rider, known as Mr Adam, a few people came to offer their help and advice too.
“But not all were good,” he noted.
Apparently, a few people wanted to remove Mr Adam’s helmet, to which Mr Razali strongly advised against.
In his accompanying caption of his body cam footage, he shared some essential first aid tips:
Mr Razali also reminded road users to drive slowly when passing by accident sites, and give ample space to first-aiders and safety volunteers.
According to a lengthy comment detailing the accident, one Mr Ong Wee Chee added on to Mr Razali’s guide.
Mr Ong commended Mr Razali for bringing up a few things that most people would fail to notice in an accident.
With regard to Mr Razali’s instructions about the helmet, Mr Ong explained that Mr Adam was believed to have “either skidded or flung to the side”.
Judging from the accident, he may or may not suffer from a spinal injury, but that is for the hospital to rule out from the scans.
Mr Ong also pointed out the importance of not offering food or water to the casualty.
[Because] if he needs to head for urgent surgery, in some situations, water [could do] more harm instead.
Thank you, kind sirs.
Mr Razali updated netizens regarding Mr Adam’s condition, noting that he needed plate implants in his right hand. He also broke his left shoulder and elbow.
Despite having to undergo surgery, Mr Adam is reported to be “in stable condition.”
He was sent to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital for treatment.
In the same post, Mr Razali conveyed his thanks to a few road users who assisted to manage traffic at the scene.
Some also helped collect Mr Adam’s belongings and take pictures of the BKE accident for insurance purposes.
It’s heartening to hear stories of good Samaritans like Mr Razali doing their part to make Singaporean society better.
If you ever need to help an accident victim, you now know a few important basics for the noble task. For the full package, you can learn more here.
Other stories of helpful Singaporeans:
Featured image from Facebook.
The authorities have investigated and closed the incident with no follow-ups required, MFA said.
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