First Aider Badge Course & Test, 1st June 2013
Written by: Gan Kah Kheng, Assistant Sixer & Scribe Today, we had a First Aider badge course and test. There were nine of us attending the course, most of whom were Akela award candidates because the First Aid badge is a requirement for the Akela award application. We started with Akela asking us some questions. The first question he posed was “what is first aid?” There were various responses, but in essence it is to provide preliminary assistance (do what you can) before expert help arrives to reduce stress, pain and suffering of the victim. Akela also asked us how to treat a large wound. This time, Akela wanted a demonstration; Akela being the victim with a leg wound and Evan being the first aider. It was good learning fun as we watched Akela grimacing in pain while Evan rummaged through his first-aid box to get the right materials. We learnt that the correct procedure is to apply pressure with a clean cloth until the bleeding stops, then apply antiseptic