KNUST College of Health Sciences Trains Senior Members in Basic Life Support and Airway Management
The College of Health Sciences (CHS) of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), through its Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, has organized a two-day training programme on Basic Life Support (BLS) and Airway Management for Senior Members of the College.
The training, held on 25th and 26th March 2026 at the CHS Boardroom, sought to equip participants with essential life-saving skills needed to respond effectively to medical emergencies such as cardiac arrest and respiratory distress.
Basic Life Support and airway management are fundamental interventions that can significantly improve survival and reduce complications during emergencies. Recognizing their importance, the American Heart Association has, since 2015, strongly recommended that even lay rescuers be trained in BLS to ensure immediate and effective responses during cardiac or respiratory emergencies.
The programme aimed to build the capacity of participants to recognize and handle common life-threatening emergencies, manage the airway of an unconscious patient, and perform basic life support techniques.
The initiative was conceived following a recent incident involving a student of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology who experienced seizures and subsequently suffered cardiac arrest with aspiration. The student was quickly transferred to the intensive care unit at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, where he fortunately recovered and was later discharged. Although the outcome was positive, the event underscored the importance of early recognition of emergencies and the prompt application of basic life-saving measures to improve outcomes.
Speaking at the training, Prof. Christian Agyare, Provost of the KNUST College of Health Sciences, commended the Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care and the facilitators for spearheading what he described as a timely and potentially life-saving initiative. He further suggested that the programme should be organized periodically as a refresher course to provide participants with more hands-on experience in managing emergencies.
The Head of the Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care at KNUST, Prof. Sanjeev Singh, expressed appreciation to the Provost for his support and to all participants for their commitment. He described the training as highly successful, noting the active engagement and positive interactions demonstrated by participants throughout the sessions.
The training was facilitated by a team of experts from academia and clinical practice, including Dr. William Addison, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, KNUST; Dr. Irene Bandoh, Lecturer at the Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, School of Medical Sciences, KNUST; Dr. Ama Kwakyewaa Bedu-Addo, Lecturer at the Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, School of Medical Sciences, KNUST; and Anastasia Ohene, Anaesthesiologist at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital.
Through the initiative, the College of Health Sciences continues to strengthen the emergency response capacity of its academic community, reinforcing the importance of preparedness and timely intervention in safeguarding lives.
