PIMA to hold basic life support workshops in 50 mosques

Islamabad : The Pakistan Islamic Medical Association (PIMA) has embarked on a unique initiative that seeks to guide and train common citizens about first aid measures that can and should be provided to someone who suffers a sudden cardiac or respiratory arrest, especially where basic facilities to save precious lives are not available.

This lifesaving project was first initiated on a large scale by the British Islamic Medical Association, and was later on adopted by all doctors’ associations including PIMA, affiliated with the Federation of Islamic Medical Associations (FIMA).

September 26 has been marked for holding life support sessions in mosques all over the world. As an active partner of this campaign, PIMA had arranged sessions on basics of emergency care in 48 mosques of 16 cities across Pakistan last year as well. The project is of utmost importance, especially for Third World and under-developed countries like Pakistan where emergency services are none-existent in far-flung areas of the country.

The Incharge of PIMA’s lifesaving project, Dr. Abdul Aziz Memon, said a large number of people suffer cardiac arrests at home or at their workplaces and lose their lives due to lack of awareness about basic life support techniques. He further assured that many lives can be saved with Cardio Pulmonary 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.