Africa-Press – Uganda. On Sunday night, an officer working in the Control tower at Entebbe Airport was reportedly bitten by a snake. While the spokesperson of the Civil Aviation Authority later clarified that it was suspected snakebite, there were several hazards and gaps identified in the reporting that call for reflection and correction.
The aviation authorities and others who manage public facilities need to be in the habit of carrying out preventive maintenance, starting from basic routines such as clearing bushes and keeping the facility grounds neat.
Every establishment, especially one as important as the national airport, should have established emergency procedures for all kinds of eventualities, including animal control, which category would include the handling of reptiles and treatment of snakebites.
That the staff at the airport could not even find an ambulance to transport an employee who needed medical attention is a glaring gap, and quite alarming. Several staff of agencies mandated to manage animals could not produce either the requisite materials or the staff with the right skills to manage wildlife at the airport when called upon. This too, is very worrying.
An immediate revision of procedure is necessary to fill the gaps in training and equipment. As a standard, there should also be an emergency plan to handle various scenarios. This plan should include a communication strategy that outlines who is to be reached for what kind of help in the event of an emergency. These very basic steps may be what is needed to save lives the next time there is an emergency at a government installation.
Additionally, it is not enough to put these measures in place. There should be routine inspection and drills to ensure that first aid equipment is in stock and in good working order. The staff should also be continuously trained in administering first aid and what to do in case of emergency evacuation, among others.
The reptile emergency at Entebbe should serve as a warning and an opportunity for all other government installations to re-evaluate their health and safety plans and carry out preventive maintenance on their grounds.
Health and safety of staff and the general public should be at the top of the agenda for any organization, whether public or private. Prevention is better than cure. Let us prioritise preventive maintenance to avoid potential disasters.
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