ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday ordered the launch of a national initiative to impart life-saving skills to people, especially the youth, to save precious lives.

Head of PM’s Strategic Reforms Unit (SRU) Salman Sufi issued instructions to the officials of each province, educational institutions and relevant quarters to make arrangements for imparting training to people so that they could help those in emergency situations such as drowning, burning, cardiac arrest, fractures and other critical cases.

The government will also restore the culture of first-aid skills, scouting and national camping school training in educational institutions.

Talking to Dawn on the initiative, Mr Sufi quoted the saying of Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) that “saving one life means saving humanity” and said the basic aim was to launch cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training across the country. “The prime minister directed me to kick-start a nationwide CPR training campaign on an immediate basis,” he said, adding that the nationwide CPR training was the first in a series of health sector development initiatives.

Nationwide CPR training is the first in a series of health sector development initiatives

“Some other training to deal with burnt victims, injured in severe road accidents, fractured limbs and other emergency techniques will also be imparted,” he said. A comprehensive strategy regarding training programmes would be announced in coming week, he disclosed.

He said CPR (a life-saving technique helpful in different emergencies, such as in case of a heart attack or near drowning, leading to chocking of someone’s breathing or heartbeat) saved countless lives in the world at places where immediate medical assistance was limited.

Mr Sufi believed that CPR training would also be made part of school curriculum. PM Sharif had ensured meritocracy in the health sector, provision of quality education of international standards and construction of health facilities in Punjab, he added.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation is a widely used rescue technique in case of out-of-hospital-cardiac arrest (OHCA). International studies indicate that CPR trained bystanders increase the rate of return of spontaneous circulation and survival.

The recent viral video of a couple from Multan, one of them being a doctor, resuscitating a drowned boy that saved his life is a testimony to effectiveness of CPR.

The government is expected to take various civil society organisations, media and other key stakeholders on board to turn the initiative into a national movement, which would have a far-reaching impact in saving millions of lives. In this regard, the SRU head said, the premier ensured meritocracy, international standards of medical education and establishment of hospitals throughout the province of Punjab.

Published in Dawn, June 20th, 2022