The Ghana Red Cross Society is organising a banquet to raise funds for the construction of first aid posts along major accident-prone highways in the country. This event comes off at Novotel Hotel in Accra on Saturday, October 23, 2010. The Red Cross Society is a world-wide humanitarian organisation providing humanitarian assistance without discrimination to nationality, race, religious beliefs, class or political opinion. The society's mission is to improve the lives of vulnerable people by mobilising the power of humanity. Vulnerable people are those who are at higher risks from situations that threaten their survival or their capacity to live with acceptable level of social and economic security and human dignity. Often these people are victims of natural and man-made disasters, displacement brought about by socio-economic crises and health emergencies. Statistics available indicate that road accidents in Ghana have become a significant cause of death and injuries in recent times. In most cases, many of these deaths and injuries may have less impact if people with the requisite first aid knowledge administered pre-clinical care immediately. Baseline survey conducted by the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) indicates that most casualties can be saved from needless deaths if prompt and proper first aid is administered to accident victims along our highways. According to NRSC, one of the biggest challenges facing the country in the road transportation industry has to do with the scale and magnitude of road traffic injuries. Every year more than 1,600 deaths and over 10,000 injuries are recorded as a result of road traffic accidents. The objective of this banquet is to raise enough funds after a previous effort in order to start a pilot first aid post on one accident-prone highway in the country. This will be fully equipped, manned by trained volunteers and provided with an ambulance for prompt evacuation of accident victims. The project is expected to be replicated on other highways over time. Source: Daily Graphic