European University of Lefke (EUL) Vocational School of Health Services, First and Emergency Aid Department Lecturer Assist. Prof. Dr. Semra Aslay drew attention to the importance of first aid and gave detailed information.

Aslay said that “Henry Dunant, who witnessed the suffering of the Solferino war in 1859, built mobile hospitals that contained the necessary medicines and medical devices in emergencies. Founded in 1863, inspired by his memories, the International Red Cross Society believed that it was necessary to raise awareness about first aid and emergency aid over time, and when it arrived in 2000, it agreed to celebrate the second Saturday of September as “First Aid Day”. Since 2003, the total of 188 countries at the same time with Turkey and the TRNC are celebrating today, ”

“First aid is the whole of the interventions made until the emergency medical teams arrive in case of any injury or illness. Therefore, it has a wide range. Every year, millions of people around the world are exposed to unwanted consequences because they cannot get emergency health care on time, ”said Aslay, which means millions of first aid cases that can even result in permanent disability or death.

Aslay, “Timely and correctly applied first aid should not only be considered as saving lives. By activating the emergency response system together with the simple first aid rules to be applied to the casualty or injured as soon as possible, we will increase the quality of life of the victim for the rest of his life. ” She drew attention to the necessity of applying first aid in all kinds of situations that affect his life, damage his health, and sometimes put his life in danger.

“In this context, the main problem is the variety of situations that require first aid. What should be taken into consideration at this stage is that there should be guidelines to be used simultaneously all over the world. As a matter of fact, both ILCOR (International Resuscitation Society) and AHA (American Heart Association) have jointly standardized the first aid rules that should be applied since 2012 in order to ensure integrity rather than applying different guidelines, ”said Aslay, according to the International First Aid Guide; He said that the person who will basically apply first aid should have the necessary training to have skills such as knowing simple human anatomy, evaluating the patient’s consciousness, proving the existence of pulse-breathing-circulation, carrying the victim properly in case of danger, and activating the emergency response system..

People from all walks of life can be a first aid person when supported by education

Aslay, “There is no need to be a medical personnel to provide first aid. People from all walks of life can be the first to help, supported by education. In case of danger, it can be checked whether the airway is open by checking the mouth of the person, the presence of breathing by bringing the ear to the victim’s mouth, and whether the pulse is beating by gently pressing the jugular vein on the neck. In the next stage, the aim is to activate the emergency response system by making appropriate interventions and not leave the victim until the ambulance arrives ”.

“First aid is the whole of interventions applied at the scene without any medical assistance, and emergency aid is the interventions of paramedics arriving at the scene by ambulance,” said Aslay, and they both complement each other and form the process up to advanced cardiac life support. “For this purpose, in order to create public awareness, training on first aid should be given at every step of education. When paramedics arrive at the scene, thousands of lives can be saved by advancing a properly performed intervention towards emergency aid. European University of Lefke, taking the seriousness of the urgent approach and the importance of saving lives as a philosophy, stated that it is proud to graduate its students with this awareness every year in the Department of First and Emergency Aid.

Aslay concluded her words as “Proper first aid can be fully successful by activating the emergency aid system when necessary. “Casualty + Rescuer + Paramedic should be considered as a whole, it should be taken into account that every individual has the right to receive health care, and it should not be forgotten that every first aid practice saves lives for a lifetime, not instantly.”