Zehra Yıldız Çevirgen, Director of Altınbaş University First Aid Center, pointed out that the critical time in First Aid is the first 5 minutes, and stated that the chance of survival of the injured who received first aid during this period increased.
Zehra Yıldız Çevirgen explained that the primary purpose of the first aider is to eliminate the life-threatening danger of the sick or injured. Saying that saving lives is a chain, he stated that there may not always be a healthcare professional or a hospital or technical equipment at the scene. In this case, Çevirgen emphasized the importance of being able to take this first step with the right practices, such as parents at home, friends at the office, and every citizen waiting at the bus stop. He said that in the event of an accident or in a life-threatening situation, anyone who receives these trainings can prevent the person's condition from getting worse and facilitate recovery.
“Makes the job of health professionals easier”
With the regulation prepared by the Ministry of Health in 2002 and revised in 2004, it is seen that social awareness gained momentum and many institutions and organizations started to provide first aid training to their employees, apart from legal obligations. “The presence of conscious, first-aid-trained people in the community not only facilitates the work of healthcare professionals, but also increases the chance of survival of the sick and injured. Everyone who is a primary school graduate can receive 16 hours of basic First Aid Training from the Ministry of Health approved First Aid Training Centers and take the exam held by the Provincial Health Directorates and become a first aider. Those who are successful in the exam can have a First Aid Certificate and an identity card valid for three years. At the end of three years, by participating in the 8-hour retraining, the validity of the certificate and identity cards can be extended for another three years.” made his statements.
Why is the first step important?
Emphasizing that the first 5 minutes, called the critical time, gain vital importance, Çevirgen said, “When breathing and circulation stop, if no intervention is made within 5 minutes, the person can enter the irreversible process. In other words, tissues and cells that cannot be oxygenated slowly begin to die. Since it is not technically possible for the ambulance to arrive at the scene in 5 minutes, the first aiders can help the sick or injured to hold on to life until the ambulance arrives. In the absence of first aid, serious life-threatening situations occur, or even if the patient or injured survives, he may have to continue the rest of his life with undesirable sequelae.” he said.
“Would he have survived if I did that? Get first aid training not to say
During the translational trainings, people who lost their relatives at the crime scene constantly asked themselves, “Would I have survived if I did this? Would he have survived if I did that?" Drawing attention to the fact that they questioned him by saying, “What bothers our conscience, whether we should do this or that, is exactly first aid. In order not to say this, our citizens should receive the necessary training from the Ministry of Health approved first aid training centers in each province. made a suggestion.
“Saving lives is a matter of time”
According to Çevirgen, saving or failing to save a loved one is only a moment. Giving a person a second chance to survive is undoubtedly invaluable. “A trained individual who is knowledgeable in first aid can keep his favorite person alive with the right intervention when he has a heart attack, a mother can remove her child with the right maneuver when a foreign object gets into her child's throat. If you've had first aid training, you'll know what to do and what not to do when your friend is poisoned." He used his expressions.
“Bee stung, heat stroke what to do?”
Indicating that acting consciously about first aid really saves lives, Çevirgen said, “Bee stung what to do, heat stroke what to do? Someone's arm is broken, how to fix it without damaging it, someone fainted, what to do? In such cases, first aid training can give people the necessary skills.
Pointing out that the wrong interventions made with hearsay information at the scene do more harm than good to the person, he also gave information about the content of the trainings given in these centers. “Basic human anatomy, body systems, methods of correct communication with 112, basic life support, intervention in airway obstructions and choking, intervention in bleeding and injuries, intervention in burns, frostbite, heat stroke, intervention in fractures, dislocations and sprains, intervention in unconsciousness disorders. There are issues such as intervention and correct handling methods in cases of poisoning, animal bites, foreign body ingestion in the eyes, ears and nose. In addition, skills such as managing the moment of crisis and psychological first aid can be acquired.
“I feel safe thanks to First Aid training”
Kozat Avanus, who decided to receive first aid training after the earthquake, stated that she now feels competent in first aid interventions with scene animations. Explaining that unconscious emergency interventions pose a great risk for the patient or the victim, Kozet Avanus said, “Now I feel safer at home or at work, and the people around me. Finding a first aid trained person at a home, workplace or school may one day be your or your relative's luck. Be someone else's chance."
Nalan Usta, who works as a teacher in a kindergarten, said, “I had hesitations about how I would intervene if I had minor accidents with children. Learning the truth with lots of practice increased my self-confidence.” He emphasized the importance of first aid training.