Students learn life-saving skills from medical professionals
10 March 2020
SMK Yaacob Latif’s students practicing CPR during the session.
A CSR programme on cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and automated external defibrillator (AED) workshops and behavioural health talks proved to be worthwhile for participants comprising youths and educators.
The workshops helped participants realise the importance of life-saving skills and mental health well-being.
The Emergency Department of Sunway Medical Centre Velocity (SMCV) raised awareness of hands-only CPR and AED use at SMK Yaacob Latif, Taman Maluri in Kuala Lumpur to educate students that anyone can save a life during a cardiac arrest.
Twenty employees from SMCV comprising physicians, paramedics, nurses and corporate communications team taught more than 350 students the skills needed.
“Most cardiac arrest cases occur outside of the hospital. The survival rate decreases without CPR.
“About 7% to 10% chance of success survival is lost with each minute delay. Timing is critical,” said SMCV physician Dr Wee Tong Ming.
“The general public has heard of CPR, but most of them are afraid to perform it due to the lack of proper exposure and some misconceptions about it.
“With our theme ‘Everyone can learn CPR, it save lives’, we urge students to start learning CPR since young, it will instil them the awareness about the importance of CPR in our society regardless of age and profession. Each of us play a role in saving life, not just doctors or nurses.”
The Health Ministry has stated that it was important for more Malaysians to know how to use the life-saving devices and it should be taught to secondary school students.
Dr Wee said the CPR and AED programme will promote a positive perception towards CPR and a willingness to use an AED in public area.
SMCV, in its CSR initiative, brought three ambulances to the school and students learned about the wide array of facilities and equipment inside an ambulance such as a stretcher, AED, cervical collar and traction splint.
SMCV consultant psychiatrist Dr Lim Wai Jenn presented a talk on adolescent behavioural health to the school teachers to enable them to have a better understanding of various behaviours or disorders of students.
“Teachers sometimes dismiss
students as lazy or stubborn if the student is not performing well. Instead of corporal punishment or scolding the students, there might be an underlying behavioural issue which often goes undiagnosed.
“Through early detection and counselling, we want to educate teachers to detect behavioural health problems to help these troubled students,” said Dr Lim.
The school programme organised by SMCV was in line with the Sunway Group’s effort towards promoting the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
