Safety at home: These are the items you should keep in your first-aid kit

Dubai: Do you have a first-aid kit at home? If so, what are the items that you have kept in it, to respond to minor accidents or injuries?

In a public health service announcement on its official social media channels, Dubai Health Authority informed people about why a first-aid kit is essential for families. In the post, the authority said: “Keeping a first-aid kit at home is essential for dealing with minor accidents and injuries.”

They also provided the following list of items and medicines that should be included in the first aid kit:

• Plasters, bandages and sticky tape.
• Sterile gauze, dressings and eye dressings.
• Disposable sterile gloves.
• A tweezer and scissors.
• Cotton balls.
• An elastic band or belt to stop the bleeding.
• Hand sanitiser.
• Antiseptic wipes.
• Thermometer.
• Ointments such as (antibiotic ointment, burn ointment, anti-itching cream, insect bite ointment).
• Eye wash solution.
• A sterile solution to clean wounds.
• An antiseptic solution for wounds.
• Medications such as antidiarrhoeal, laxatives, antihistamines and pain relievers.
• First-aid manual.

DHA also advised people to follow these precautions to ensure the kit

- Store first-aid kits out of children's reach but where adults can easily get them.
- Keep the first-aid kit in a cool, dry place.
- Check the first-aid kit regularly to replace supplies that have expired or have been used.

How can I get a first-aid kit?

Pharmacies in the UAE provide customised first-aid kits, so you can buy a basic first aid kit that includes some medical equipment, or just buy the container, which is designed to be used as a first-aid kit and stock up on the items as per your need.