Izah Azahari
Baiduri Bank and the Brunei Darussalam Red Crescent Society (BRC) yesterday inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) as part of the bank’s effort to train and certify employees in first aid.
The event held at Baiduri Community Space, Baiduri Bank Headquarters, was witnessed by Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Health (MoH) Haji Maswadi bin Haji Mohsin.
The event began with the recitation of Surah Al-Fatihah and Doa, followed by welcoming remarks from Baiduri Bank Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ti Eng Hui.
He said the programme is part of Baiduri Bank’s commitment to corporate social responsibility (CSR) and support the MoH’s initiative and whole-of-nation approach in addressing and reducing non-communicable diseases and premature deaths in the country.
“Our working relationship with the MoH has spanned more than a decade. We worked alongside the National Resuscitation Centre (NRC) in 2009, where Baiduri Bank contributed towards the equipment at the NRC,” said Ti.
He added, “This, in turn, helped to promote the growing number of qualified first aiders within Baiduri Bank Group, with more than 600 employees trained in CPR, basic first aid and in other health related areas such as workplace health and safety, and personal safety skills since 2009.”
Since 2020, the CEO said the bank has in place an employee-led initiative called the ‘Employee Wellness Initiative’ which actively works towards a holistic approach to promote mental, emotional and spiritual health along with financial well-being, in line with and supporting the ministry’s vision of ‘Together Towards a Healthy Nation’.
“Our goal through this partnership with BRC is to equip even more of our employees with the knowledge in basic CPR and first aid, as well as to raise awareness on mental health issues in the community, which have indeed intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic,” he added.
The CEO also noted the bank’s long tradition of providing a safe and healthy working environment, and looks forward to continuing their collaboration with MoH, BRC, the Safety, Health and Environment National Authority (SHENA), as well as other regulatory organisations to train their employees to raise the importance of safety in the workplace.
The event continued with brief remarks on the societies’ roles by Deputy Regional Director for Asia-Pacific, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies Juja Kim, and a keynote address from Haji Maswadi. He highlighted the World First Aid Day celebration, themed ‘Lifelong First Aid Learning’, across the globe as an annual campaign focussing on promoting accessibility to first aid knowledge; and raising awareness among the public of all ages about the necessity of first aid and CPR in the event of an accident, and how first aid can save lives in critical situations.
“The MoH, in recognising the importance of increasing awareness and training in first aid and CPR, has implemented several initiatives,” said the permanent secretary.
Among the initiatives were the introduction of the first aid and CPR course by the Brunei National Resuscitation Committee in 2004 and subsequently the inclusion of automated external defibrillator (AED) component in the course in 2013.
He also noted the ministry’s collaboration with other sectors such as the National Disaster Management Committee in the development of the basic handbook for emergency and public safety in 2012, Ministry of Education in the development of the guidelines on SOP for field trips in 2015, as well as the organising of community outreach activities on first aid, CPR and AED training in Mukim Melilas and Mukim Sukang in 2019 and 2020.
“These initiatives ensure that first aid knowledge is disseminated throughout life for everyone, everywhere, according to the individual’s specific learning needs,” said the permanent secretary.
In support of the World First Aid Day, Haji Maswadi said the ministry aims to achieve the target of up to 50 per cent of the population having basic training on first aid and CPR by 2035.
“To achieve this target and ensure that first aid and CPR practice and training are standardised, the MoH established the National Resuscitation Board in July of this year where one of the roles of the board is to oversee the standards and provide advice on all matters related to resuscitation practice and training in Brunei Darussalam, including first aid and CPR,” he said.
He added that the ministry also encourages other organisations and course providers to come forward and work together in promoting awareness and training on first aid and CPR which is also in keeping with the Workplace Safety and Health (First Aid) Regulations 2021, which stipulates that one first-aider is required for every 50 persons.
“The ministry would also like to encourage the public, including our youth to get first aid and CPR training as part of their social responsibilities, and call for active involvement and participation from all as first aid training is not only a vital life skill, but in turn will inspire a nation of young leaders,” said Haji Maswadi.
Signing on behalf of Baiduri Bank was Ti alongside Baiduri Head of Group Human Resources and Administration Veronica Chong, while BRC was represented by its President Pengiran Dato Paduka Haji Mohd Yussof bin Pengiran Haji Bahar and Deputy President of Operations and Government Relations Haji Mohd Suhaimi bin Haji Ibrahim.
The scope of cooperation includes training two Baiduri Bank employees with ‘Train-the-Trainer’ certification in both medical first aid and mental health first aid. These employees will then be able to train their colleagues.
These activities are led by the bank’s wellness ambassadors – selected employees who are champions of advocating a wellness culture among their colleagues.
These wellness ambassadors also undergo specialised training to equip them with the knowledge and skills to promote a healthier lifestyle supported by the Health Promotion Centre at the MoH.
The event continued with a one-day seminar on ‘Lifelong First Aid Learning’. The seminar included workshops on the importance of first aid learning and workplace health and safety by SHENA, Brunei Asia Pacific Shell Learning Hub, BRC and Baiduri Bank.
