Here we go again: somebody dies in tragic circumstances and the knee-jerk reaction in the court of public opinion is that the solution lies in legislating to have certain measures in place. Thankfully, official reactions were more pragmatic.

There should clearly be zero tolerance to any avoidable death and, prima facie, the death by choking of a 57-year-old woman in a restaurant last week appeared to have been very avoidable.

However, we must be realistic when trying to learn from such experiences. Insisting on a new law that would be impossible to enforce or would shut down most of the restaurants in Malta would be self-defeating.

Should there be a qualified first aider in all public places, whether restaurants, schools, stadiums, cinemas, theatres, public buses, offices…? Ideally yes, of course. Indeed, in public activities attracting the masses such personnel are always present. But can this be done in everysingle venue accessible to the public?

Focusing just on restaurants, in view of last week’s incident, it is already a problem finding staff – and retaining them. Recruiting qualified staff is even harder. Employing a person who is qualified and experienced and who can also administer first aid becomes quite a feat.

A Global Burden of Disease study reports that 162,000 people died from choking on a foreign object in 2013, many of them children swallowing objects. According to Injury Facts 2015, choking was the fourth leading cause of unintentional injury deaths in 2011, followed by poisoning and motor vehicle accidents.

In an ideal world, we would all receive first aid training. Whether dealing with choking, bleeding, burns or medical conditions like respiratory or cardiac emergencies, knowing what to do can spell the difference between life and death.

A study done some years ago in a UK town showed there was a significant reduction in the accident injury rate after less than 10 per cent of the population took a four-hour first aid course.

Judging by what was reported in the media, there have been at least three cases of choking by food in Malta. In all these cases, there were other people around who could have intervened and it would be fair to conclude that, in the case of restaurants, there were far more patrons or guests than paid staff.

The consultant at Mater Dei Hospital’s emergency department and the Malta Resuscitation Council all believe there should be more awareness of first aid and training among those in positions where they were more likely to encounter emergencies. How right they are.

The Malta Tourism Authority will encourage this through the carrot, rather than the stick, by making it mandatory for restaurants wanting a quality assured seal.

There can be no excuses: first aid courses are prevalent and reasonably priced. There are studies to show that even young children can absorb and use the techniques taught during courses. If schools and companies (including hotels and restaurants) all do their bit to train their students and staff respectively it raises the chances of finding a first aider who can help, no matter where the victim is and what the circumstances without the need of laws.

Tony Zahra, the outspoken chairman of the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association, put the public reactions into context: “We have to keep in mind that we are in the hospitality business and not the hospital business.”

The solution would be to consider first aid as a civic duty and rather than merely an occupational one.