First Aid in Tamale Metropolitan Basic Schools, Ghana (Who Is Responsible?)

Health and safety legislation places duties on teachers for the health and safety of their students in the classroom and anyone else on the premises of the school. The study aimed to determine who is responsible for offering first aid in basic schools of Tamale Metropolis- Northen region, Ghana. The study used a survey research design. Knowledge scores were computed giving minimum and maximum obtainable scores respectively. The main tool for the collection of data was a questionnaire and observation. The data collected was quantitatively analyzed using statistical frequencies. Respondents were reported as having inadequate knowledge, no training on first aid and administering of first aid activities done by anybody without referring to experts or trained personnel in the schools. Lack of basic knowledge of the programme among them will hinder its effective implementation. This may inform training interventions to upgrade their knowledge in first aid programmes. The study recommends that the Ministry of Education and other allied agencies should establish some mandatory policies for professionals involved in medicine to be attached to the basic schools in Tamale Metropolis. Regular workshops and training must be given to teachers. As part of a contribution to knowledge, the paper has exposed the lack of inappropriate methods used in purchasing drugs in schools and the involvement of non-medical professionals in the activities of first aid in Basic schools in the Tamale Metropolis. Keywords: First Aid, Teachers, Children, Physical Activity, Safety Measures, Injuries, Basic Schools.