For the Dominican Red Cross every day is first aid day
When Walexi Castillo Reyes was a young volunteer at the age of 18, he responded to an emergency on a crowded beach in the Dominican Republic.A man in severe respiratory distress needed urgent help. Luckily, Castillo had recently completed a first aid training, so he was able to administer oxygen and emergency medication. He was able to stabilise the patient and get him to hospital. Years later, the man recognised him in a public place and approached him to thank him for saving his life and to tell him that he had joined the Red Cross in his community. This is just one of the stories that reflect the transformative power of first aid, not only in saving lives, but in creating connections that spread the principle of humanity. National Training Centre The "Centro Nacional de Capacitación Doctora Ligia Leroux de Ramírez", named in honour of a medical and humanitarian figure in the Dominican Republic, is the heart of first aid training in the country. For the past five years, Castillo has directed the school, combining his experience as an emergency physician with more than three decades as a member of the Red Cross. This initiative has allowed the Dominican Red Cross to multiply its reach and capacity to save lives throughout the Dominican Republic.It offers a full range of courses, from basic first aid (BAP), basic life support (BLS) and pediatric first aid (PAP) to advanced technical training in pre-hospital care, water rescue, risk management and other disciplines.Joining forces to multiply the impactThe centre offers both internal and external training. Internal training is aimed at staff and volunteers from all Red Cross branches throughout the country. External training is offered to companies, mainly in the tourism sector. "At the moment, the centre gives up to ten courses a month, both internally and externally (...) We recently had our first meeting with more than 50 instructors in the different disciplines we work in," says Castillo.First aid training is not limited to the classroom. The Red Cross also manages the national 9-1-1 emergency service, so training staff and volunteers in the branches is crucial to ensuring a fast and effective local response."In September, which is First Aid Month, we go to the media to provide basic first aid information and show the community how to activate the 9-1-1 emergency system". The centre has also established important partnerships with public institutions such as the National Institute of Technical and Vocational Education (INFOTEP), the National Institute of Teacher Training and Education (INAFOCAM) and the National Institute of Integrated Childcare (INAIPI). In collaboration with INFOTEP, the centre offers the Emergency Medical Technician course. There are currently 50 students in training.The partnership with INAFOCAM has enabled all INAIPI staff to be trained in pediatric first aid."We created a pediatric first aid manual to train all INAIPI staff. It was a wonderful experience. We saw that the course was very satisfactory for all the people who took part, and for the Dominican Red Cross it is a very important achievement", said the centre's director. Innovative facilities and resourcesMedicine and emergency techniques are constantly evolving. The National Training Centre is committed to keeping its training programmes up to date with the latest practices and technologies. The centre is equipped with modern facilities, including classrooms, laboratories and a recently opened advanced simulation centre. These resources enable effective hands-on training with simulators for techniques such as intubation, tracheotomy and basic electrocardiogram, among others. "Our goal is to be a leading first aid and pre-hospital care centre that trains all volunteers in the Caribbean," concluded the doctor.The impact of first aid training goes beyond the immediate response to an emergency. The knowledge and skills acquired in these courses can save lives and also increase the ability to act in critical situations.As the story of Dr Castillo Reyes - and the Dominican Red Cross First Aid Training Centre - shows, every person trained in first aid has the potential to save lives and pass that knowledge on to those around them. This creates a powerful multiplier effect, making the whole community stronger and safer.Read more about the IFRC's approach to first aid:First Aid in the IFRC NetworkGlobal First Aid Reference Centre