Qatar Red Crescent (QRC) organised a first aid training course for a group of its volunteers to mark World First Aid Day, which fell on September 13.
Held on the QRC Medical Affairs premises and attended by 15 trainees of different ages, the First Aid & Road Safety course involved an intensive all-day training programme over eight hours.
The course was instructed by an experienced group of medical trainers, including highly qualified and internationally certified physicians, nursing school faculty members, emergency medical technicians-advanced life support and anaesthesia/recovery technicians.
It covered a variety of topics, including introduction to QRC’s principles; the basics of first aid, surface water rescue and cardiopulmonary resuscitation; how to deal with cases of suffocation, bleeding, injury, fracture, burn, epilepsy, poisoning and heat exhaustion; and techniques of moving injured people.
Participants commended the course and highlighted the vital information they received and skills they learned in providing initial response, minimising the impact of emergencies and keeping victims alive until the arrival of paramedics, if necessary.
QRC’s health education activities employ the latest training and scientific programmes accredited by major international institutions, such as the European Society of Cardiology, American Heart Association and the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRC).
The theme adopted by IFRC for this year’s World First Aid Day – “Be a hero, save lives! First aid is for everyone, everywhere” - emphasises the need for first aid heroes in daily emergencies and disasters. All countries have been invited to initiate a long-term vision (First Aid Global Initiative) to enhance, expand and improve first aid training as a key component of a wider resilience approach.
As part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, QRC believes that first aid is more than just learning a series of techniques - it is essentially an act of humanity that empowers volunteers and communities to save lives without delay.
