KARACHI: Experts at a programme held on Friday said that countless lives could be saved if the general public learnt basic life-saving skills, pointing out that a major factor which prevented people from helping those facing a medical emergency was harassment by law enforcement agencies.

The event was held at the EPI auditorium where Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho, Director General-health Dr Irshad Memon, Lead — Pakistan Life Savers Programme physician Dr Junaid Razzak and Dr Noor Baig were in attendance, among others.

It was organised to create awareness of a project about the Life Savers Programme currently being implemented by the Sindh health department in collaboration with the Aga Khan University Hospital.

Dr Razzak said lives were lost daily only because people didn’t have basic life-saving skills to apply in emergency situation.

Experts say people avoid helping those facing medical emergencies due to harassment by police

“We want to increase the survival rate from accidents and emergencies. Even one percent increase in awareness of these skills equals to saving 10 lives a day. In the life-saving situations, the first few minutes are the most crucial as to how to stabilise a life before an ambulance comes,” he said.

According to him, emergency numbers need to be household knowledge and everyone should know that 1122 is the helpline number all over Pakistan.

“Under the programme, people are taught how to stop or at least reduce bleeding. This life-saving training course is only two-and-a-half-hour long and so far first responders, police and schools have been part of this training,” he said, adding that staying mentally calm in emergencies was also part of the training and how to relay information to 1122 when they were called.

So far, 12,000 people have been trained under this programme with 250 master trainers in each district.

“People are scared of helping others because of harassment from the law enforcement agencies. This programme also includes awareness about bystander protection laws,” Dr Razzak said.

Dr Noor emphasised the need for implementing that project nationwide as “every life lost is a cause of misery and suffering for a family”.

Health Minister Pechuho said it’s a special project and efforts should be made to train as many people as possible.

Published in Dawn, June 3rd, 2023