First Aid Training: 7 Life-Saving Skills Everyone in Ghana Should Learn

An accident or sudden illness can happen at home, at work, on the road or in a public place. In those first few minutes, knowing what to do can help protect someone from further harm while professional help is on the way.

First aid does not replace medical care, and reading an article is not the same as practical training. But learning the basics, and practising them with a qualified trainer, can help you respond more calmly and confidently.

Here are seven important skills that individuals, healthcare workers, employers and organisations in Ghana should consider learning through first aid training.

1. Check for danger and call for help

Before approaching someone who is hurt or unwell, look for risks such as traffic, fire, electricity, violence or unsafe equipment. Do not put yourself in danger. If the area is unsafe, move to a safe place and call for help.

If it is safe, check whether the person responds when you speak to them. Ask someone nearby to call emergency services and give the location, including landmarks. In Ghana, the National Ambulance Service lists 112 as an emergency hotline and 193 as its ambulance number. If you cannot get through on one, try the other. Give the call handler clear information and follow their instructions.

If the person is unresponsive but breathing normally, place them on their side if you can do so safely. Keep checking their breathing and stay with them. If they are not breathing normally or are only gasping, call for help and begin CPR if you can.

You can find emergency service details on the National Ambulance Service website.

2. Give CPR and use an AED

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) helps keep blood moving when someone’s heart has stopped. For an adult who has collapsed and is not breathing normally, call emergency services, ask someone to find an automated external defibrillator (AED) if one is available, and start chest compressions.

Place the heel of one hand in the centre of the chest, put your other hand on top and press firmly and quickly. Aim for 100–120 compressions a minute, allowing the chest to rise fully between pushes. If you are not trained to give rescue breaths, hands-only CPR is better than doing nothing. A trained person should follow the CPR method taught in their course.

Switch on an AED as soon as it arrives and follow its voice instructions. It will tell you when to attach the pads and when not to touch the person. Continue CPR until the person shows signs of life, trained help takes over, you are too exhausted to continue, or the area becomes unsafe.

Practical first aid training gives learners a chance to practise CPR and AED steps on training equipment.

3. Help someone who is choking

If a person can cough, speak or breathe, encourage them to keep coughing. Do not give them food or drink, and do not put your fingers into their mouth to search for an object.

If they cannot cough, speak or breathe, ask someone to call emergency services. Give up to five firm blows between the shoulder blades, checking after each one. If the blockage remains, give up to five abdominal thrusts, then repeat the sequence until the object comes out or the person becomes unresponsive. Training is especially important for learning how to adapt these steps for infants, pregnant people and people with different needs.

If the person becomes unresponsive, lower them safely to the ground and start CPR. Remove an object from the mouth only if you can see it. Never do a blind finger sweep.

4. Control serious bleeding

For heavy bleeding, call emergency services and apply firm, continuous pressure directly to the wound using clean gauze or cloth. Wear gloves or use a barrier if available. If blood soaks through, place more material on top without removing the first layer.

Do not remove an object stuck in a wound. Press around it and try to keep it still while help is coming. If you are trained to use a tourniquet, follow your training for life-threatening bleeding from an arm or leg. Keep the person warm and watch for changes in their condition.

5. Respond to a burn

First, stop the person’s contact with the heat source if you can do so safely. Cool the burn under clean, cool running water for 20 minutes. Remove jewellery and loose clothing near the area, but do not pull away anything stuck to the skin.

Do not put ice, butter, toothpaste or oils on a burn, and do not burst blisters. Once cooled, cover the area loosely with a clean dressing or cloth. Seek urgent medical care for a large or deep burn, burns to the face or hands, and burns caused by electricity or chemicals. For chemical exposure, protect yourself, remove contaminated clothing if safe and rinse the affected area with plenty of water while getting help.

6. Keep someone safe during a seizure

If someone has a seizure, move nearby objects away and cushion their head with something soft. Time the seizure if you can. Do not hold the person down, put anything in their mouth or give them food, drink or medicine.

When the movements stop, check their breathing. If they are breathing normally, place them on their side and stay with them as they recover. Call for urgent medical help if it is their first seizure, it lasts more than five minutes, another seizure follows before they recover, they are injured, or they have difficulty breathing.

7. Recognise the signs of a stroke

A stroke needs urgent medical attention. Remember FAST:

• Face: Does one side droop when the person smiles?
• Arms: Can they raise both arms?
• Speech: Is their speech slurred or difficult to understand?
• Time: Call emergency services immediately.

Note the time the symptoms started, or when the person was last well. Do not wait to see if the symptoms improve, and do not give the person food, drink or medication unless a medical professional tells you to. The American Stroke Association’s FAST guidance explains these warning signs.

Why first aid training matters in Ghana

First aid skills can benefit families, schools, community groups, hospitals and workplaces. For employers, training staff can support workplace safety and help people respond to emergencies while professional assistance is being arranged. It can also be a valuable part of wider care training courses, healthcare support development and infection prevention and control training.

A good course should include practical learning, not just theory. The Ghana Red Cross Society describes its first aid training as combining theory with hands-on learning and scenario-based instruction. Ask any training provider about the practical skills covered, how learners practise and whether refresher training is recommended.

Achievers Training College Ghana (ATC Ghana) will offer first aid training as part of its short CPD courses, modelled on UK standards and aligned with international first aid practice. Organisations will also be able to book workplace first aid training for their staff. These courses will sit alongside other cpd training courses and care training courses designed to develop skills for health and social care settings. No course can guarantee a particular outcome in an emergency, but practical learning can help people prepare and respond more confidently.

Learning first aid is one practical way to help improve lives, develop professionals, strengthen organisations and build healthier communities. Whether you are an individual, a care worker, a nurse, an employer or part of a hospital team, consider taking a hands-on course and refreshing your skills regularly.