EVE BURNS
Marshall Islands Red Cross Society held a World First Aid Day event at Laura this past Saturday.
Red Cross announced it will be using the Jeirok Center as a sub-office going forward. World First Aid Day is an annual campaign to promote the importance of first aid training in preventing injuries and saving lives.
The day started off with a prayer by a Red Cross staff Jason Thomas. Red Cross Communications Officer Roger Muller conducted the event as well as welcoming the Laura folks who came to help celebrate and learn about the program.
Councilman Jina David said that as long as he is alive the Red Cross is welcome to use the Jeirok Center without paying rent because this was an opportunity for Laura people to learn about first aid. Considering how far Laura is to Majuro hospital, people usually die before they reach the hospital for something that simple first aid could have helped. Jina hopes that with Red Cross having a presence in Laura people would take the chance to learn first aid.
Red Cross staff took the day to teach Laura folks who attended the event how to do CPR, what to do when some is choking and the proper and correct way to wash hands. The Laura folks were very involved in asking questions.