The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has commenced intensive training of health workers from seven hospitals on Basic Life Support (BLS) as part of efforts to prevent avoidable deaths during medical emergencies.
The four-day training, certified by the American Heart Association (AHA), is being held at Asokoro District Hospital, with participants drawn from hospitals in Asokoro, Maitama, Wuse, Gwarinpa, Kuje, Kubwa and Nyanya.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Mandate Secretary, Health Services and Environment Secretariat (HSES), Dr. Dolapo Fasawe, said the initiative was aimed at ensuring that health workers can respond swiftly when patients suffer life-threatening emergencies.
Fasawe said the FCTA was working to establish Code Blue Teams in hospitals across the territory, to ensure patients in critical condition receive immediate attention.
She said: “Our goal is to consistently record success stories from ‘no pulse to resuscitation’.”
According to her, improving emergency response would not only save lives but also restore public confidence in government hospitals.
Fasawe disclosed that the training would be extended to other hospitals in the FCT, with basic equipment and other requirements provided to strengthen emergency response.
She added that participants would be tested at the end of the programme, with certificates awarded to those who meet the required standard.
The Medical Director of Asokoro District Hospital, Dr. Oluseyi Ashaolu, described the training as timely, noting that immediate and appropriate intervention can often make the difference between life and death.
The training coordinator, Dr. Rosemary Nwokorie, said the exercise was being conducted in batches, with the first batch holding August 21 and 22, while the second batch is scheduled for September 4 and 5, 2026.
She added that participants would also receive training in Stop the Bleeding, a course designed to equip health workers with skills to control severe bleeding in trauma patients before definitive treatment.
The instructors are led by Dr. Onyedika Godfrey Okoye, a trauma surgeon at the Trauma Centre, National Hospital, Abuja.
The FCTA said the training is part of its wider plan to strengthen emergency care and ensure that health workers are adequately prepared to save lives when patients require urgent medical attention.
