KARACHI, Aug 25: Seventeen volunteers of the Edhi Foundation were awarded certificates on completion of a two-week "Pre-hospital handlers course" on Wednesday at a ceremony , held in the Civil Hospital's department of anaesthesiology, surgical intensive care and pain management.

The two-week training programme dealt with first aid and health care in emergency cases, particularly following a bomb explosion or natural disaster. The course was aimed at imparting training to doctors and paramedics so that the time between a traumatic event and subsequent hospital care was utilized adequately to save precious lives.

Speakers on the occasion pointed out that mass casualties were on the rise not only in Pakistan, but all over the world. Lack of infrastructure and properly trained and skilled personnel to provide crisis management on the site, compounded the problem, they said.

The training programme was designed and conducted by the department of anaesthesiology, surgical intensive care and pain management, Civil Hospital Karachi. The Edhi volunteers, including Faisal Edhi and Rizwan Edhi, were taught features of the human body and their functions, said a press release.

The volunteers were also trained how to handle the victims of mass casualties, natural disasters, traffic accidents as well as critically ill patients needing emergency care.

Dr Jamil Akhtar, Dr Muzammil Hussain, Dr Aftab Ahmed, Dr Asad Ansari, Dr Alamgir Shah, Dr S. Mubashir Hussain and Dr Tanveer Baig trained the volunteers. The course was supervized by Prof Tipu Sultan, added the press release.

The two-week course was a precursor to an initiative by the Edhi Foundation called the Edhi Emergency Medical Service (EEMS), which is going to be launched in Karachi next month. Under this initiative, the people wounded in terrorist attacks or natural disasters will be provided treatment either on-site or on the way to hospital.

Considerable work had already been completed in this regard, said a source in the Edhi Foundation. He said the concept was formulated by Abdus Sattar Edhi himself because a lot of lives could be saved if the injured were treated before they reached the hospitals.

He elaborated that under the initiative about 30 custom-built ambulances would be ready round-the-clock to rush to the site of disaster. The ambulances would be equipped with oxygen cylinders and kits, suction machines, ECG machines, splints, CPR gear and gadgets to monitor sugar levels and blood grouping.

Fire brigade and a few other department have expressed their interest to further strengthen the programme and extend all necessary support to the trainees handling cases, transported to hospitals, add agencies.

In a nutshell, the programme would be a catalyst in preparing well-trained volunteers and pre-hospital handlers, who would be able to efficiently manage the cases of excessive blood loss, near collapse, besides the victims of road accidents, bomb explosions, building collapse, earthquake and burns all without any unnecessary delay.

Addressing at the certificate distribution ceremony, Consultant Anaesthesiologist Dr Zahid Solad underscored need for a liaison among fire brigade, police, civil defence and volunteers coupled with adequate public awareness as how to ensure adequate and prompt help to the victims.

The head of anaesthesiology and surgical intensive care unit, Prof Tipu Sultan, referred to the high number of patients reporting with collapse and in almost coma condition at the casualty department of Civil Hospital.

According to him, this warrants urgency to ensure that pre- hospital handlers along with doctors and paramedics are well acquainted with basic life support and advance life support techniques, besides, capable to administer cardio-pulmonary resuscitation techniques.

He reminded that over 200 patients were attended daily at the casualty department of Civil Hospital and at times even 100 to 120 of them were the collapsed cases - often a manifestation of excessive bleeding owing either to gynaecological complication or consequent to road accident, bullet injury or any other category of trauma.

He expressed hope that the advanced and more elaborated courses would be continuing feature of the department. The Medical Superintendent of Civil Hospital, Dr Raza Ali, said that the government approved Rs15 million to upgrade and improve casualty department in the current fiscal year.

Chief Fire Officer Kazim Ali called for solving traffic congestion and changing public behaviour to give way to ambulance. Speaking at the ceremony, Faisal Edhi mentioned that half of the patients transported by Edhi ambulances to hospitals from across the city were of injury or collapse, which was often consequent to massive blood loss closely followed byburns, heart attack and so forth.

He said that serious patients and those dying due to excessive bleeding would be provided medical aid during their transportation to hospitals while serious injured would be shifted to hospital through special stretchers.

Faisal Edhi expressed the hope that with the start of this Emergency Medical Service, the lives of 50 per cent of trauma suffering patients could be saved. He thanked Dr Tipu Sultan and his special team as a result of whose efforts, the training of Edhi volunteers could be conducted successfully.