"There are 10 priority programs by the Health Ministry for health transformation, one of which is people's empowerment. People's empowerment (aims) to ready them in aiding and handling risk of disasters, be it natural, non-natural, or social," head of the ministry's crisis center, Sumarjaya, said.
In a statement received here on Wednesday, he noted that after the COVID-19 pandemic, the index of disaster risk has become huge, making such training necessary.
He informed that the training covers skills such as helping someone in the event of a sudden cardiac arrest, choking, or passing out.
Sumarjaya said that professionals are teaching participants how to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) as well as use Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs), and ways to clear blocked airways.
He opined that knowing basic life support is important to ensure everyone's health, as health is not just medical personnel's responsibility.
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There are two phases of medical emergencies, he said, those being pre-hospital and hospital emergencies. The treatments provided at hospitals are curative, he noted.
Pre-hospital aids aim to ensure a patient stays alive at the time of emergency, he added.
Often when people encounter medical emergencies, they panic and immediately think of taking the patient to a health facility, he said. However, not many think of ways to save the patients earlier, so that they are safe even before they arrive at hospitals.
He cited the Kanjuruhan tragedy of 2022, during which no one offered basic life support. He compared it to the Itaewon, Seoul, tragedy in South Korea, which happened shortly after, during which many performed CPR on victims.
Another example is the death of Chinese athlete Zhang Zijie in June 2024, he added. He expressed sadness over the death and said it should serve as a reminder of the importance of knowing basic life support.
He added he believes that through the simple initiative, people can save lives.
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Reporter: Mecca Yumna Ning Prisie
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
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