Local News

A non-governmental organization dedicated to assisting with first aid training and response is appealing to the general public to keep its doors open.  The National First Aid Team, according to its founder and director Darwin Slusher is running low on supplies and he is turning to the public for assistance so that this organization can continue to provide this crucial service free of cost to the general public.

DARWIN SLUSHER, Founder and Director (National First Aid Team)

“Ever since inception on 2006, December 16^th the National First Aid Team has been providing free services in terms of rendering basic first aid assistants whether it be at an event or be it a private home call or something to that effect and from since then we have been trying to manage our resources in terms of the basic medical supplies may you have it gauze dressing, band aids, cloves, etc. and recently we have been struggling in terms of getting these supplies because they are very expenses. I mean, you’ll pay at least $15 for a box of gloves which that would only last us for probably a week or so and recently my coordinators from the supplies department had inform me that we were running low and God forbids we would have to render assistant to something huge in this country then we would really be in trouble.  Our supplies we have would last us to run about a couple more events to cover like three more events which would be sad because in the summer is our very busy time and we now offer free basic first aid training for anyone from the age 16 years and up and supplies that we would use for our training is now at a standstill because we simply can’t afford to do any more training.  If we would have to do a training, probably let’s say next week, then the supplies that we would use for that training we won’t be able to use for a patient care assessment or something like that.  So right now as it is, this morning I met with my board of committee to see how we can manage to probably let’s say take money out of our own personal pockets to purchase these supplies just so that we may have enough to service our country.  I mean, the work that we do on a day to day basis is so overwhelming, we actually enjoy doing what we do best and that is to help in any way we simply can.”

PATRICK JONES, Reporter

“So how now can that general public assist you?”

DARWIN SLUSHER, Founder and Director (National First Aid Team)

“If they would like, drug stores we are mainly appealing to the drug stores to anybody in the medical field.  If you have a box of gloves, probably it’s already open you only used a couple pair from it and you’ll like to donate it that would really go a long way. The general public can make donations., they can email us at s.a.tbelize@hotmail.com, they can call personally at number 632-6071, they can blog on our Facebook account and you know, they can render any means as how and rest assured that if the monitory donations then our financial personnel will make sure that we provide a monthly report of whatever finance have been donated to us just so that these people know here their moneys are going and how it will benefit our country and as it is we have branched off into San Pedro where San Pedro is the tourist destination of Belize and as it is these people they don’t really have anybody trained in responding to emergencies out there expect for the clinic and I believe that government is doing  the very best in providing these sufficient services to the country but they can only do so much.  It’s simple organization like us that needs to assist our government in providing these services to make our country a better place. So anybody from the general public can donate it whether be it a $5, a gauze or a pack of band aid for $12, it really don’t matter, anything that they give will go a long way right now.”

Darwin Slusher, executive director of the National First Aid Team.