Lyna Mohamad
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between Royal Brunei Airlines (RB) and Brunei Darussalam Red Crescent Society (BRC) where BRC will provide RB training on psychological first-aid to expand RB’s current first aid course suite.
These include childcare first aid, basic first aid for adults and occupational first aid. In addition, BRC will provide training for RB’s selected instructors for in-house certification.
The signing ceremony took place at RB Campus with RB Acting CEO Captain Sabirin bin Haji Abdul Hamid and RB Chief Risk Officer Kamal Ariffin bin Dato Paduka Haji Abdul Rahman as RB’s signatories.
BRC, meanwhile, was represented by its president Pengiran Dato Paduka Haji Mohd Yussoff bin Pengiran Haji Bahar and Secretary General cum CEO of BRC Haji Mohd Suhaimi bin Haji Ibrahim.
“At RB, the safety, welfare and development of our people are at the core of everything we do. The ethos is included in our People Pillar for a more sustainable RB; to become the employer of choice and promote the well-being of our people,” said Captain Sabirin.
First aid training is essential to RB’s onboard crew and office staff for their well-being and service to their guests.
With the signing of the MoU with BRC, RB will be able to expand its first aid training syllabus for the staff with psychological first aid, added Captain Sabirin.
“The development in our world leading cabin crew’s training, will provide them with more confidence when they encounter medical or health-related cases onboard, where the first response is critical before professional medical personnel can attain to the case.”
The acting CEO also shared that the RB Learning Academy will be a first aid training centre certified by BRC and the courses will also be made available to the public through the academy.
Following the MoU, RB and BRC will also collaborate to share logistic facilities during a national crisis response and in addition, RB’s involvement as a part of the Civil Emergency Response Team on humanitarian support and need within Brunei and overseas will be fully supported by BRC.
BRC Academy also plays the role and is committed in helping the Ministry of Health provide awareness and information related to the control of disease issues of non-communicable disease (NCDs) holistically on chronic diseases, said the BRC president.
This, he said, is in addition to introducing the RC wellness training module programme and health screening skills to cultivate a healthy lifestyle among the public through target groups in both the public services and corporate sector.
The association hopes that the MoU target of one house one first aider will be achieved by 2035, the president said, adding that first aid training is not only targetted for certification and recognition at the workplace for the industry, but also needs to be disseminated to the community particularly children, youth and senior citizen levels.
He pointed out that skills in giving first aid is a social responsibility that everyone in the community should have in being prepared to save lives.
As a premier voluntary humanitarian movement in the country, BRC needs the support of corporate partners such as RB to remain relevant as an auxiliary to the Government of His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam in jointly caring for the well-being and safety of the public either in a state of peace or when faced with disaster, pandemic, disaster crisis and so forth.
“Alhamdulillah, with the MoU, it will increase the closeness with government link companies to work together with BRC.”
Meanwhile, BRC’s Haji Mohd Suhaimi said, “BRC is delighted not just to sign the MoU, but also for what it represents they are taking the partnership between BRC and RB to a new level, which is historic.
“Strong multilateral organisations like ours are important for bringing communities and nations together.
“The MoU commits us to a close partnership in three key areas: Expansion of First Aid Course, Psychological/Mental Health First Aid and finally Joint Task Force in Crisis Management and Disaster Response.”
Following the signing, the BRC president presented the accreditation from BRC to RB as a certified first aid training centre as well as presentation of certification for first aid instructors by Captain Sabirin.
