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John Murwira Mash West Correspondent
The Zimbabwe Red Cross Society and Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe have established a partnership that would see the training of drivers in first aid skills to enable them to respond to emergencies. The programme would also see residents and villagers living along Zimbabwe’s highways receive the same training.

ZRCS health and social services coordinator Mr Abel Gumbo said the programme would start soon with a stakeholders’ workshop.

He said the ZRCS, as a humanitarian organisation established to work with Government and public entities has, in addition to its traditional programming thematic areas, made a decision to prioritise road safety.

“The thrust would see the Red Cross partner, collaborate and cooperate with key stakeholders in implementing road safety activities contributing mainly through training selected people in first aid to ensure timely assistance to those injured in road traffic accidents,” said Mr Gumbo.

“The decision to intervene in the road safety sector is out of a realisation that action is required to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on our roads.

“Having noticed that so many accidents are occurring on our roads, people being injured and failing to get first aid and communities close to accident hotspots have no basic knowledge to help and the police and drivers watch helpless, ZRSC decided to chip in with first aid training targeting road traffic safety.”