Life-saving skills initiative launched in Sindh by health department, AKUH

The Sindh health department on Friday launched a life-saving training initiative in collaboration with the Aga Khan University Hospital to provide basic first-aid and life-saving training to people from different walks of life. Announcing the launch of the initiative, Health Minister Dr Azra Pechuho said most of the people don’t help any injured person due to fear of legal implications. She announced introduction of a bill in the provincial assembly to provide protection to those who try to save lives during accidents, disasters and emergencies.

Addressing a news conference along with Director General Health Dr Irshad Memon, AKUH emergency medicine head Dr Junaid Razzaq and Dr Noor Baig at the EPI Centre in Karachi, she said they want to train maximum persons in the province to save lives of those in need of medical assistance and hoped that this programme would save thousands of lives.Later, talking to media persons, the health minister said that so far 3,800 cases of XDR typhoid have been reported from nine districts of the province. She added that XDR typhoid cases are on the rise among children who have not received vaccination. “Vaccination against XDR typhoid had resulted in a decline in its cases, but now cases are again on the rise. We are going to vaccinate small children again to prevent them from XDR typhoid.”

Pechuho maintained that a health risk allowance was given during the Covid-19 pandemic and now protesting for the allowance was unjustified. She said healthcare professionals and paramedical staff of public hospitals always demanded perks and privileges for themselves. Commenting on the situation of the Trauma Centre, she said there is need for another trauma centre in Karachi as the existing one lacks beds due to a growing number of patients.Dr Junaid Razzaq said they are going to train thousands of people in life-saving skills, as people equipped with life-saving skills can save others’ lives. He said lives of people in case of heart attacks, injuries during accidents and incidents of homicide and other disasters can be saved by trained people around them as the first few minutes are very important.