Red Cross Supports UXO project first aid training

 Red Cross supports UXO project first aid training
Around 20 staffs from unexploded ordnance clearance project UXO Lao attended a Trauma Medic and First Aid Instructor Course that ran from May 19 to June 13 at the UXO Lao Training Centre in Vientiane’s Naxaithong district.
The four-week training course received funding from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
UXO remains an enormous obstacle to Laos in development, poverty reduction and the nation achieving its Millennium Development Goals.
Despite the number of UXO casualties having decrease in recent years, from an  average of around 300 per year to 41 in the past year, the contaminated bombs still continue to threaten residents, especially farmers with their larger rural holdings being higher risk areas for the bombs.
“The ICRC support for the training not only contributed to building knowledge and skills for the UXO Lao field medical staff, but also contributed to UXO clearance activities which will lead to reduction of UXO impact in the country”
UXO Lao Director Mr. Thipphasone Soukhathammavong said. ICRC Regional Delegation Deputy Head Mr. Fred Grimm presented course certificates to training attendees at the closing ceremony held on Friday.
ICRC also provided medical equipment worth US$20.000 to UXO Lao in 2010.
Lao Red Cross Vice President Assoc Prof. Singme Norath and Head of the ICRC Vientiane Project Mr. Patrick Somxaysana Vilayleck also attended the ceremony.