PESHAWAR: Experts have called for imparting training on first aid techniques to the public to reduce casualties from manmade and natural calamities in Khyber Pakhtunlchwa and Federally Administered Tribal Areas.

`One person dies every five seconds worldwide due to injuries. It is important to provide first aid to the patients before rushing them to hospitals,` Ms Mirjam Lea Mueller, head of sub-delegation of the International Committee of Red Cross, told a seminar organised by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapter of Pakistan Red Crescent Society to mark the World First Aid Day at the Pakistan Forest Institute (PFI) here on Wednesday.

The ICRC, she said, had been working on strengthening the first aid capacity of the people as prompt medical relief to victims of calamities such as road accidents and fire-arm injuries increased their chances of survival.

`We have been imparting technical knowhow about first aid to the people in KP and Fata to enable them to cope with the aftermath of accidents,` she said.

Member of the PRCS managing committee, Inamullah Khan, said that the day was marl(ed annually to shed light on the significance of first aid and pay commemoration to those who provided the first aid.

`We have given training to thousands of people, including community leaders, members of the law enforcement agencies, students, teachers and youths, he said.

Mr Khan said that the theme of first aid day for the year was `medical aid for ageing people` with a view to pay more attention to the elderly people who were more vulnerable to accidents.

`First aid for elderly people is even more essential as over 50 per cent of the injury-related hospitalisations happened because the victims were above 65 years,` he said.

He added that it was the need ofthe hour to produce trained people in first aid at the grassroots level to help the needy people during emergencies.

PFI director Asif Jaha on the occasion asked the students to learn the first-aid sl(ills to be able to train more people and contribute effective services during tragedies. -Bureau Report