By Eddah Waithaka
More than 100 golf caddies from leading clubs across Nairobi today received their Basic Life Support (BLS) and First Responder certifications, completing a transformative month-long training programme delivered by The Nairobi Hospital in partnership with Brookside Dairies.
The intensive course equipped caddies with critical life-saving skills, including how to recognise medical emergencies, perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), manage choking incidents, control severe bleeding, and provide immediate assistance while awaiting emergency medical services.
Golf courses bring together people of different ages and health profiles, often over several hours of play. In a medical emergency, the minute before professional help arrives shapes the outcome. Caddies accompany players throughout every round, which places them close at hand when something goes wrong. Certifying them puts skilled responders on the course, ready to act from the first minute of an emergency.
For The Nairobi Hospital, the programme forms part of a wider commitment to preventive health and community safety developed over more than 70 years. Established in 1954, the Hospital has built its reputation on clinical excellence and now applies that expertise to prevention, public education, and community preparedness.
“For more than seven decades, The Nairobi Hospital has cared for patients at the most critical moments of their lives,” said Felix Osano, Chief Executive Officer of The Nairobi Hospital. “This programme places life-saving skills in the hands of the people who are first on the scene when an emergency happens on the course. Equipping caddies in this way makes golf safer for players, club members, and staff alike.”
Also Read : https://africawatchnews.co.ke/england-and-argentina-set-for-blockbuster-world-cup-semifinal-clash/
Clinicians from The Nairobi Hospital led the training, which combined classroom instruction with hands-on simulations. Sessions covered emergency scene assessment, use of automated external defibrillators (AEDs), airway management, choking response, and other first aid interventions required before professional medical teams arrive.
“At Brookside, we believe healthy and active communities are built on good nutrition and everyday acts of care. Training caddies as first responders gives Nairobi’s golf clubs a team ready to act when an emergency arises, and we are proud to stand behind it,” said Linda Atieno, General Manager Marketing, Brookside Dairies.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony, the Hospital’s leadership said initiatives of this kind strengthen community emergency readiness alongside continued investment in clinical care. Strong health outcomes depend on people who can recognise an emergency early and respond with skill before specialised care arrives.
The Hospital intends to continue working with organisations that share its commitment to preventive health and emergency preparedness across the communities it serves.
