Ensuring better first aid

The 259th monthly health lecture series of Public Garden Walkers’ Association (PGWA) at Indira Priyadarshini Auditorium in Nampally on Sunday was all about ensuring better first aid. The meeting was conducted by General Secretary of PGWA, Vishwnath Agrawal and presided by its Chairman Gulam Yazdani.

Dr Mohan Gupta, Managing Director, Consultant and General Surgeon of Aarogya Hospital said, “Immediate assistance or treatment given to someone before getting medical assistance is termed as ‘first aid’.

First aide, the person who gives first aid should be calm, confident, willing to offer assistance whenever required and shall have patience. It is essential for first aide to protect himself or herself from injury and infection, and to ensure that the surroundings are safe.”

“The main objectives of first aid are to preserve life, to restore and maintain vital functions, to prevent injury or the condition from worsening and to promote recovery. Another goal is to reassure the victim and make him or her as comfortable as possible,” mentioned the doctor.

“There is lot of dilemma and confusion about what to do and what not to do in case of common emergencies at the primary level. Many myths and believes are prevalent among the general population,” he said.

The primary measures to be taken as first aid in problems such as burns, bleeding, animal bites, poisoning, musculo-skeletal injuries, tetanus, seizures and nosebleeds were discussed. Vijay Kumar Pittie, Senior Vice-President of Agrasen Bank, and Brijgopal Bansal, Director of Agrasen Bank attended the meeting.