First aid kit a basic necessity for any home
"We get called out to many scenes where a proper first aid kit would have gone a long way in assisting a situation' - local paramedic Moses Ndlovu
POLOKWANE – With less than two weeks left of the school holiday and with children at home, it is important to have the best possible first aid kit and to know what essentials it should contain. Review spoke to a paramedic from a local ambulance service in the city on what the perfect home first aid kit should have.
“We get called out to many scenes where a proper first aid kit would have gone a long way in assisting a situation as it occurs, but parents are not aware of what they need to have, and in many cases have used incorrect first aid items and thus caused more and unnecessary damage,” Moses Ndlovu told Review.
A comprehensive first aid kit should include:
• Sterile gauze
• Adhesive hypoallergenic tape
• Bandages
• Triangular elastic bandages
• Crepe roll bandages, both large and small
• Sterile dressing
• Assorted plasters
• Eye dressing
• Antiseptic wipes
• Antibiotic cream
• Tablets for pain and fever
• Re-hydration sachets
• Sharp scissors
• Tweezers
• Safety pins
• Thermometer
• Gloves
• Torch and spare batteries
• Emergency numbers
• Chronic prescribed medication
• Antiseptic cream
• Cough medication
• Flue medication
• Saline to clean wounds
• Indigestion tablets
• Diarrhoea medication
• Laxatives
• Motion sickness medication
• Asthma medication
• Insect repellent
• Vitamin tablets
• Sunscreen and after-sun lotion
Ndlovo said that these are the basic necessities, but depending on the needs of the family, additional items may be added to your first aid kit.
