Media Release
Mangaluru, Aug 24: The Diocesan Health Commission, Mangalore diocese, in collaboration with the Father Muller Simulation and Skill Centre (FMSSC), organised a first aid and CPR training programme for the Episcopal deanery on Sunday, August 23, at the Senate Hall, Milagres Church.
The programme commenced with a warm welcome by the parish priest, Fr Ivan Michael Rodrigues, who welcomed all the participants, faculty members, and organisers. This was followed by a prayer, seeking god's blessings for the successful conduct of the programme.
Fr George Jeevan Sequeira, secretary, diocesan health commission, interacted with the delegates and shared valuable insights on the importance of first aid and CPR training. He highlighted the significance of being prepared to respond promptly and appropriately during medical emergencies and encouraged the participants to make use of the knowledge and skills gained through the training to help others in times of need.
Despite being conducted on a Sunday, the programme witnessed an overwhelming response, with 172 enthusiastic participants attending the training from various parishes like Urwa 21, Shakthinagar 10, Milagres 35, Bejai 22, Valencia 12, Cascia 07, Bendur 14, Jeppu 14, Kulur 24, Kulshekar, Rosario Cathedral, and Tannirbhavi 13. The programme aimed to create awareness and equip participants with essential knowledge and practical skills to recognise and respond effectively to medical emergencies.
The academic sessions began with an introduction to first aid and scene safety conducted by Dr Rithesh. This was followed by a session on the recognition of heart attack by Dr Shannon Fernandes.
The first aid sessions included fracture management, conducted by Dr Vivian D'Almeida, followed by a demonstration of the log roll technique by Pradeep D'Souza S. Dr Diana Lobo conducted the session on trauma and haemorrhage control, highlighting the importance of appropriate initial management during traumatic emergencies. The session on choking management was conducted by Dr Rithesh D'Cunha.
The programme also covered various common emergencies. Dr Shannon Fernandes conducted the session on female health emergencies, while Cynthia Goveas addressed the management of fits and convulsions. The session on fire emergencies was conducted by Cryshel, and Lavena Nazreth conducted the session on drowning. Dr Veena J Pinto addressed important topics related to diabetes, infections, and stroke, emphasising the importance of early recognition and timely intervention.
The practical demonstrations and hands-on sessions made the programme interactive and engaging. The participants actively took part in the training and showed great interest in learning the correct techniques for responding to emergencies.
The participants were then trained in adult CPR and infant CPR by Dr Rithesh D'Cunha. A major highlight of the programme was the hands-on CPR training, conducted with the active involvement of the entire faculty team, including Dr Synol, Dr Nichole, Dr Vivian, Dr Anisha, Dr Rose, Dr Annabelle, Dr Ashwin, Dr Santushti, and Dr Akhil. The practical session provided participants with an opportunity to practice essential life-saving CPR skills under the guidance and supervision of the faculty members.
Overall, the first aid and CPR training programme was successfully conducted, empowering 172 participants with essential knowledge and practical skills in CPR and first aid. The programme was a meaningful initiative towards promoting emergency preparedness and creating a community that is better equipped and more confident to respond during medical emergencies.