KP health dept to train students about life-saving skills

PESHAWAR: The health department of Khyber Pakhtunkhawa (KP) has decided to start courses at schools to train students about the skills of resuscitating critically-injured and ill people in case of emergencies.

“The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa health policy seeks to develop skills of people in cardiopulmonary support to victims at the site of the occurrence of incidents. We want people to perform lifesaving procedures. We can avoid complications through early and better basic life support to the needy people,” Dr Hamid Shehzad, the director of emergency department at medical teaching institution Lady Reading Hospital, told participants of an event.

In developed countries, such live-saving courses had become part of the syllabus of schools from 5th grade because those were the skills, which anyone can learn regardless of educational background, he said.

Dr Hamid further told that last month, American Heart Association (AHA) approved Lady Reading Hospital as a first provincial health institute for conducting basic life support, advance life support and other courses for health professionals to improve care of critically-ill and injured persons.

Under the new policy, students will receive training to resuscitate critically-injured and ill people in case of emergency and reduce mortality rate from the trauma.