Posted on: Thu 05-06-2025

In a bold and much-needed step toward strengthening Nigeria’s emergency healthcare response, the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has launched a nationwide training initiative to equip 10,000 healthcare professionals with advanced and basic life support skills.

This initiative is not just a response to rising medical emergencies—it is a visionary investment in saving lives and empowering frontline workers with the tools to act swiftly and effectively during critical moments.

At the opening session of the training workshop in Port Harcourt, NARD President, Dr. Osundara Zenith, shed light on the alarming increase in sudden, preventable deaths caused by obstructive airway complications, pulmonary crises, and cardiac events. He passionately referenced a recent tragedy—a young doctor who collapsed and died after watching a football match—as a stark reminder of how crucial timely intervention can be.

“This programme is our proactive response,” Dr. Zenith noted. “Too many lives are being lost due to a lack of basic knowledge on how to manage emergencies. We’re taking action to close that gap.”

The training—covering essential skills such as the use of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) and protocols for managing cardiac arrest and airway obstruction—signals a new era of preparedness. It focuses not only on doctors, but opens its doors to nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists, laboratory scientists, and other healthcare workers who form the backbone of patient care.

By including a wide range of professionals, NARD is fostering a truly interdisciplinary approach to emergency response, ensuring that wherever a crisis occurs, there is someone nearby who knows exactly what to do.

This programme deserves public commendation and strong institutional support. It reflects a commitment to transforming healthcare from reactive to proactive, while also empowering our healthcare workforce with the confidence and competence to intervene when every second counts.

In a healthcare landscape too often defined by underfunding and resource strain, NARD’s initiative shines as an example of leadership, foresight, and professional solidarity. It reminds us that progress in healthcare doesn’t always begin with buildings or equipment—it begins with people who are trained, prepared, and willing to act.

Nigeria needs more of such strategic, people-focused interventions. Empowering 10,000 healthcare professionals with lifesaving skills isn’t just an investment in the system—it’s a direct investment in human lives.

Let’s support this cause, amplify it, and call on partners in government and the private sector to sustain and scale it up. When healthcare professionals are empowered, entire communities are protected.

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