In post-disaster situations, sudden incidents, or caring work, volunteers are often the first to encounter the injured. If they are equipped with first aid skills, they can provide timely treatment before ambulances or medical personnel arrive, thereby reducing the risk of death ⛑️.

For this reason, the 7979 Major Disaster Response team, together with Trauma Tech Education Academy, co-organised the Heart Saver – Life Saving Series course on 16 August at the HISTEAM headquarters office. The trainers were Mr. Alvin Chuang and Dr. Elise Er as assistant instructor.

“Come, let’s practise on the spot now!” Upon hearing this, participants looked at each other nervously before stepping forward to practise first aid skills 🩹 on mannequins. They immediately applied what they learned, including: severe bleeding control, choking rescue, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED). As the practice went on, some participants, tense yet focused, even burst into nervous laughter 😂. Through experiential learning and emergency simulations, the knowledge was firmly imprinted in their minds. At the end of the course, 11 participants also received an AHA First Aid Certificate 📜.

“I really enjoyed this training. I actually learned more here than in my medical course.” This was the sharing of Aishwariyaa, a medical student who travelled 400 km to attend. She explained that opportunities for hands-on first aid training are rare in medical studies, so being part of this course made her very happy 🎉.
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📌 Notes:

1. The AHA Certificate is issued by the American Heart Association (AHA) and is valid for two years.
2. An AED (Automated External Defibrillator) is a portable emergency device designed for easy use. It can automatically analyse whether a patient requires defibrillation, and if necessary, administers it automatically. (Source: Wikipedia)
3. CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) is an emergency lifesaving technique that can save a person’s life when the heart and/or breathing has stopped (cardiac arrest).