Reducing
discrimination in communities and providing assistance to vulnerable
people through first aid was the theme of this year’s
World First Aid Day on 9 September.
The Afghan Red Crescent Society (ARCS) marked the event by inviting
35 community-based first aid (CBDA) volunteers to its Kabul
branch, located in Pul-i-Hartal.
“We are here to today not only to celebrate World First
Aid Day, but to also renew and strengthen our relationship with
the ARCS,” said the International Federation’s health
delegate, Pitambar Aryal, in his speech during the event’s
opening ceremony.
“We are using this day to move forward with the National
Society and to ensure that all theories regarding first aid
and CBFA will be put into practice and used accordingly,”
he added.
Both Aryal and his counterpart at the Red Crescent, Dr Rahmatullah
Bashar Yah, noted in their speeches that the first aid methods
practiced by ARCS volunteers have had a major impact on the
community over the years.
“I am very happy to say that the ARCS volunteers have
done a very good job in promoting first aid and helping the
vulnerable people within the community,” said Dr Bashar
Yar.
To illustrate his point, two Red Crescent first aid volunteers
took to the stage towards the end of the ceremony and talked
about their experiences in helping reduce discrimination and
provide help to vulnerable people.
“Three years ago, an explosion took place in a small village
in the north of Kabul and one man was seriously injured,”
recounted Mohammed Tariq, an ARCS volunteer.
“There was no medicine in the clinic or the hospital so
the first aid volunteers went off on their own and collected
as many medicines as they could find to treat the patient,”
he added. “This is an example of how we can make a difference
in the community.”
The second volunteer, named Abdul Kazim, told a similar story.
“I am from the north of Afghanistan, from Balkh province,”
he explained. “Last year, there was an internal conflict
within the community… some leaders were not very trusting
of people from different tribes and eight people were injured
in fighting.
“The community-based first aid volunteers stopped their
bleeding and attended to their injuries… Because we managed
to help these people, the community leaders were thankful to
us for not only helping but also for not discriminating between
one tribe and another. In first aid, everyone who is injured
needs to be attended to, regardless of what tribe they are from,”
said Kazim.
To get everyone involved, several of the volunteers were asked
to participate in a first aid knowledge game. Each of the participants
called onto the stage were asked three first aid-related questions.
They were then required to perform a first aid task –
ranging from bandaging to treating bleeding ears and doing the
Heimlich maneuver – on a fellow volunteer.
The participants were judged by a panel of community-based first
aid experts and the participant with the highest score received
a prize.
“The objective of the game is for the volunteers to demonstrate
their skills in first aid,” said Dr Bashar Yah. “The
prizes are our way of saying thanks to the volunteers for they
are the ones who are interacting with the community and tending
to their needs.”
Following the World First Aid Day events, the ARCS, with support
from the International Federation’s health department,
also scheduled a week-long CBFA training workshop.
|
 |
 |
|
|
Aziza,
a female participant in the first aid game
bandaging a volunteer. (p14669)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
International
Federation Health Delegate, Pitambar Aryal, and Health
Manager, Dr Sultan Hamayoun. (p14680)
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Two Red Crescent first aid volunteers took to the stage
towards the end of the ceremony and talked about their
experiences in helping reduce discrimination and provide
help to vulnerable people. (p14678)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
News
