Whoever saves a single life is as if he has saved the entire humanity

By Shabir Hussain Jhatial
Ex Director Nursing Sindh.

Many lives are lost due to delayed response to natural disasters or man made catastrophies, accidents before they even reach the hospitals. The uncertainity for life and health is caused by changing life styles, unsafe industrialization, pandemics and the ever changing environmental degradation. Many people in our beloved country lose their hardly earned resources for the treatment or become disabled or suffer from irreparable damages.


 Numerous studies and field observations indicate that if such victims receive timely medical assistance, many lives could be saved, and many could be spared from permanent disability and other socio economic and psychological losses.

Keeping these avoidable losses in mind, the Provincial Health Minister has encouraged various First Aid entities such as1122 and PSLP (Pakistan Life Savers Program) who have been promoting the teaching of life-saving skills to volunteers in the capital city, Karachi and beyond. 

The aim of this inititive is to produce a large number of trained volunteers who can provide first aid and immediate assistance at disaster sites presuming that some will be present in the communities in their routine work. The life and damage avoided by such volunteers could significantly contribute lessening the burden of death disease and disability.

Being part of this Health Department Sindh campaign, the College of Nursing Korangi has initiated various training sessions to teach emergency medical skills to its 260 BS Nursing students. 

In the first session, globally recognized experts from the Pakistan Life Savers Program (PLSP) including Muhammad Shoaib, Mr. Ayaz, Dr. Hina, Mr. Ali, and Nurse Professional Ms. Hina Gilani, provided excellent hands-on training to around 50 BS Nursing students at the college and at 1122 Emergency in Karachi Expo Center. The undergradute students were specoficall trained to provide emergency medical assistance such as on-site resuscitation in case of sudden respiratory or cardiac arrest, stopping bleeding in case of open wounds and to handling fractures before shifting them to hospitals.

Recently 73 more students completed their Basic Life Support training. In addition, four faculty members and two students successfully passed the first session to become as Master Trainers. After the second and third training sessions, these faculty members: Mr. Madan Lal, Mr. Saqib, Ms. Zubaida, and Kamla Kumari will become certified master trainers accreditted by PLSP. They will be able then to provide independently this essential training not only within this college but also in other institutions if and when need arises.

Just one month ago 64 first-year BS Nursing students from Korangi College received immediate response skills life-saving training at Karachi Expo Center from 1122 and SERS expert trainers to handle emergencies at accident sites or during natural disasters.

Soon, efforts will be made to train the remaining 60 students, transforming them into walking life-saving volunteers in the communities and in the move onvroads while their routine movements. A large number of skilled volunteer students can provide immediate help on roads, in communities, or anywhere as society ior the government may need to face the catostrophic situattions.

The young faculty of the college, including Ms. Zubeda, Mr.Saqib, Ms. Shakeela, Ms. Sameera, Ms. Ishrat, and Mr. Tariq Laghari, are actively involved in facilitating continuous assistance in this training campaign. Meanwhile, Principal Shabir Hussain Jhatial, along with Ms. Razia Philip and Ms. Nasreen, are overseeing administrative matters.

At the conclusion of the recent training session and traditional hospitality for the distinguished trainers, a consensus was reached to make Korangi College as a partner in this great campaign to achieve our shared goals to ensure its continuity, sustainability and flow in the future and its expansion to other nursing colleges.

This series of teaching life-saving skills and transforming students as expert volunteers will continue, enabling trained men and women to provide immediate assistance to affected people at disaster sites to lessen the possible burden of death disease and disability.

Korangi College firmly believes that after these training sessions, our approximately 260 students and Master Trainers will carry forward this mission to other colleges of nursing. The college also foresees that in the course of time, our Mater Trainer Volunteers ,like those at the College of Nursing NICH, will be training doctors, paramedics, and pharmacists in Basic Life Support prgrams contributing in Governments efforts.