BLS, CPR training workshops organised in mosques

Islamabad : On the occasion of World Life Savers Day, Pakistan Islamic Medical Association (PIMA) organised Basic Life Support (BLS) and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) training workshops for general public in more than 150 mosques across the country on Saturday, in which expert doctors trained people on basic life support techniques in critical medical emergencies, such as cardiac arrest and obstructed airways.

According to PIMA, the purpose of the day was to provide the common people with basic life support training so they can assist patients in critical medical emergencies. PIMA has called for basic life support training to be made mandatory for all citizens and said that this training is of utmost importance for masses in developing countries like Pakistan where emergency services are non-existent in far flung areas of the country. The PIMA has chosen the mosques in various parts of the country for the training workshops.

PIMA Central President Dr. Abdul Aziz Memon said in his message that a large number of people suffered cardiac arrests at home or at workplace and lost their lives due to non-awareness of basic life support (BLS) techniques. Many lives can be saved with Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) training which is simple to learn. CPR is an emergency first-aid procedure that is applied to maintain respiration and blood circulation in a person, whose breathing and heartbeat suddenly stops.

He said that these lifesaving training programs were initiated on a large scale by the British Islamic Medical Association in 2014 and later on adopted by all doctors’ associations including PIMA, affiliated with the Federation of Islamic Medical Associations (FIMA). Last Saturday of the month of September has been marked to hold the life support sessions at mosques all over the world.

Dr. Memon conducted a training session in Sukkur in Sindh province. He said that having knowledge on BLS is important because it saves lives and empowers people with basic knowledge and will reduce panic and immature decisions in case of medical emergencies.

According to a statement issued by PIMA Centre, thousands of people benefited from these BLS sessions. These training sessions were arranged at 57 places in the Punjab province, 28 in Sindh province, 36 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, 10 in Baluchistan province and 19 in Azad Kashmir. The PIMA Women Wing also arranged these workshops for women and female students at different places.