A dedicated member of the Tafelsig Neighbourhood Watch, Petronella Sauls, used her emergency medical training to save an elderly woman’s life after she was found unresponsive in her wheelchair on Friday morning.
Sauls said that when she received a call from her Neighbourhood Watch chairperson, she knew she had to do everything possible to save the woman’s life. According to the City of Cape Town, emergency medical training is crucial in saving lives, and Sauls is a testament to this.
Emergency Training in Action
Sauls explained that her only focus was to keep the elderly woman alive until emergency services arrived. She added that she had to clear the woman’s airway, which was blocked, and also check her sugar levels after learning she was diabetic.
There were times when Sauls thought she lost the woman, but with the emergency training, she managed to get her back. She literally kept her alive until emergency services came, and this is a great example of how first aid training can make a difference in emergency situations.
Community Impact
Sauls hopes that people will see the positive side to what the Neighbourhood Watch does, as they are not only crime fighters but also trained in other areas such as emergency medical response. She believes that this incident shows the importance of community involvement and training.
Some of the key skills that Sauls used to save the woman’s life include:
- Clearing the airway to ensure the woman could breathe
- Checking sugar levels to ensure the woman’s diabetes was under control
- Keeping the woman calm and comfortable until emergency services arrived
Sauls’ actions are a great example of how emergency training can save lives, and it is essential for communities to invest in such training to ensure they are prepared for emergency situations.
