When it comes to valuable, useful skills a person could learn, there are a lot of options out there. However, few of them could be considered more beneficial than basic first aid training. Knowing first aid means you’re more likely to know what to do to help someone in case of emergency. You’ll be better equipped to help yourself if you’re ever hurt, as well.

Unpleasant though it may be, the fact remains that accidents happen. Even experiencing it as a bystander, an accident is not a pleasant scene. The purpose of the First Aid course is to train individuals in the skills necessary to recognize and provide first aid care for injuries and sudden illness until advanced medical personnel arrive and take over. Picture this; you are out for a morning run, miles from home/ dormitory/ clinic. You fall and suffer a bad injury. Naturally you will call for help, but what do you do in the meantime?

The International Medical and Pharmacy Student Association (IMSA) organized First Aid Training which took place on the 18th , 25th of November and 2nd of December at the Graduate building every 9:00-10:30hrs. 2017 autumn first Aid training were in three sessions.

· The first session on Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) conducted by Monica Kharat with assistance from Michael Afriyie, Pooja Bharadwaj and Mustafa Farhat.

· The second session on `Management of bleeding` by Dr. Abdul.

· Finally, The third session on `Burn` by Osei-Adjei George (masters in clinical microbiology and PhD in biochemistry and molecular biology.

This workshop equipped students with the most important basic skills on emergency care and treatment of injured or ill person.

This first-aid training course brought a dual benefit. It exposed medical students to the world of medicine. Over and above, the training had a mixture of both practical and theory. The training was mostly on how to examine, use, and familiarize with first aid and how to treat some of the more common injuries like control bleeding and trauma. The demonstrations were carried out successfully; students had chances to practice on CPR Manikins, and even amongst themselves which was exhilarating. Basically, first aid is a way to stabilize and overcome a potentially threatening situation long enough for medically trained individuals to arrive on scene.

In addition, Students learnt that knowledge in First Aid has so many benefits regardless of whether an emergency affects them directly or involves people they live with. First Aid can and often lessens the severity of an emergency in a given time and place. It allows those trained with the potentially lifesaving ability to assist an injured or ill person during a variety of emergency situations.

Acquiring valuable first aid training that helps you protect those that are under your care could be one of the best things you’ve ever decided to do. Explore your options today!

Writer : Tapiwa, Olive Daily (Olive Media)

Editor: Tiisetso, Olive Daily (Olive Media)

Photographer: Parth Patel & Yash Jani, Olive Daily (Olive Media)