Vikash Sharma

Accidents are not planned, they can happen anywhere. The rate of casualty is certainly high if the victim is not attended at the right time.

Here the importance of first-aid increases as it can help someone’s life by timely intervention.

According to the Ministry of Health, learning life-saving skills can bridge the gap between an incident being discovered and arrival of emergency services.

Being a first aid provider involves four steps:

  1. Making the area safe
  2. Quick evaluation
  3. Call for help
  4. Provide first aid

1. Making the area safe

  • It can be done by dispersing the crowd

  • Using warning triangle reflector if available while helping victims

2. Quick evaluation

  • First check whether there is any sign of life (limb movements, coughing or verbalizing) and if the victim is breating or not (rise and fall of chest)

  • Check whether the victim is bleeding or not

  • Look for any deformity or swelling of limbs

3. Call for help

  • Stay calm, don’t panic

  • Call bystander and ask them to call ambulance or police for help (use mobile phone)

4. Provide first aid

  • Introduce yourself to the victim

  • Explain how you are going to help

  • Show empathy, kindness and concern

  • Don’t give food or water

  • Prepare for early transfer to hospital

First Aid for burns

  • Stop the burning process

  • Cool the burnt area by putting wet clean cloth for 10-15 minutes

  • Cover the burnt area with a clean cloth

  • Transfer to the nearest hospital

First Aid for bleeding

  • Don’t remove any object that has pierced in body

  • Apply pressure on bleeding site using clean cloth

  • If wound is not bleeding, wash it with water and cover with clean cloth

First Aid for deformed limb of fracture

Apply splint using any hard object like stick and tie with clothes

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