World First Aid Day: ‘People trained in first aid build a safe community’

LAHORE:

The Punjab Emergency Service (Rescue 1122) and the Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) held awareness sessions in several districts in connection with the World First Aid Day on Saturday.

A seminar was organised at the PRCS auditorium on Queen’s Road to raise public awareness regarding first aid skills and civic responsibility among people.

Punjab Emergency Service Director General Rizwan Naseer said that World Aid Day celebrations aimed to educate citizens about first aid training and skills.

He said students in more than 600 schools and as many as 500 colleges in the Punjab had been trained in emergency evacuation. More than 35,000 citizens in the province had been trained in life saving techniques by Rescue-1122. He said that the department had around 20,000 volunteers. “People who have been trained in rescue and first-aid techniques can help establish safe communities in Pakistan,” said Naseer, “We should all play our role to create a progressive Pakistan.” He said citizens in many communities had been given training in basic life support skills to ensure preparedness in dealing with untoward incidents.

PRCS Punjab Secretary Brig (retd) Muhammad Saleem said that everyone should be trained in first aid. PRCS Punjab Health Services Director Safia Ghufran said the PRCS had trained as many as 59,859 citizens. “We aim to train at least one member of every household in the province,” she said. Several hospitals under the aegis of PRCS treated people injured in accidents.

Rescue-1122 Admin Director Brig (retd) Arshad Zia, PRCS Punjab Managing Committee Member Shaukat Ali and Managing Committee Member Liaquat Ali Chishti also spoke on the occasion.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 15^th, 2013.