Natural disasters like the floods. Man made disasters including buildings falling has made the news in recent days. Also frequently in the news are accidents on the road and in the home.  People across ages are taking on swimming, running, sports, trekking and adventure sports. People are travelling larger distances from home to college/office.  There are larger festivals from youth festivals to religious festivals.

What all these have in common, are increasing chances of medical emergencies, and an increasing need to have aware citizens who can proved  basic first-aid that can make the difference between life and death. With this in mind K J Somaiya College of Nursing organised First Aid Training for students of the various institutes at Somaiya Vidyavihar campus.  Says Provost, Somaiya Vidyavihar “The first-aid course will help students identify medical emergencies and in situations where emergency care must be administered immediately, often the family member, friend or bystander is the only person in a position to act right away.  According to experts, training and awareness of first-aid should ideally begin around the age of 15.   A number of students have shown interest in the training. This will contribute to our students being more aware, responsible and contribute to the community”

The first aid training was provided by students and faculty of  K J  Somaiya Nursing College in a practical, fun and interactive session. The first module included some basic methods in treating people who need immediate help because of a fall, cutting themselves, or in other ways injuring or hurting themselves, to providing CPR to a person who is choking or about to get a heart attack or has fainted. 

Avani Oke, Principal K J Somaiya College of Nursing said “A recent research shows that seven out of ten students wouldn’t know what to do if someone they knew was hurt, but the majority say they would like to learn first aid, We believe that first aid is a life skill that everyone can and should learn, We believe that every young person should have the chance to learn vital life-saving skills & gain the confidence to be the difference between a life lost and a life saved”

Dr. Chinmay Godbole, Intensivist Consultant, K. J. Somaiya Super Specialty Centre, added "Imparting knowledge of First Aid to students has become essential in today's times. Just a few simple steps can save lives. The youth should be encouraged not only to participate in such activities, but also to percolate this knowledge into the community. The more this knowledge reaches the common man, the more lives we can save together. Every helping hand is a boon during emergencies."

Aditya Desai of SYBMS, studying at Somaiya Vidyavihar who attended the training program said “I have been in situation, where some friend had a medical emergency, and  I used to feel helpless. Now with this First Aid Training, I know what do in case of an emergency in daily life” I volunteer for various festivals in my areas and in various community programs. I realise that the first response has saved many lives. The training is made me more aware of what I need to do in various situations. “