700 EMTs graduate from Emergency Services Academy

LAHORE:  

The first batch of 700 emergency medical technicians (EMTs), trained according to National Ambulance Service College (NASC) Ireland guidelines, graduated during a ceremony at Emergency Services Academy (ESA) on Sunday.

Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid was the chief guest for the occasion. NASC Senior Officers Shane Knox and Anthony Byrne, Rescue 1122 Director General Dr Rizwan Naseer and others also attended the ceremony.

The rescuers were trained in line with the standards of NASC and the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council of Ireland. The training was a continuation of a MoU signed between ESA and NASC to maintain international standards of emergency services through third party evaluation.

In his welcome address, Rescue 1122 Director General Rizwan Naseer stated that all training exercises were recorded in real time and were internationally monitored by the NASC team.

Establishment of the Rescue Ambulance Service College will be helpful in ensuring international standards of emergency care, he said.

He also appreciated the efforts of Dr Khurram Shahzad and the NASC faculty for their continued efforts to institutionalise the emergency paramedic training process at ESA.

Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmeen Rashid said that emergency care is a basic human right. Rescue 1122 is providing this basic right to the citizens of Punjab without any discrimination, she added.

She appreciated the role and the performance of Rescue 1122 and urged other public organisations to follow in their footsteps.

Meanwhile, NASC Senior Officers Shane Knox and Anthony Byrne conducted different sessions to examine the expertise and skills of the trainees. They asked several questions and conducted a written test.

Knox appreciated the fact that ESA was providing professional quality instruments and that the available resources can aid in teaching professional emergency care courses in Pakistan.