The Hindu

MANGALORE, Apr 29: The Police Department in collaboration with Kasturba Medical College (KMC) plans to conduct courses in Basic Life Support for its personnel, Superintendent of Police B. Dayanand has said. He was speaking after giving away certificates in BLS (Basic Life Support) and ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support) to participants of courses conducted by the American Heart Association at the college here on Saturday.

Dayanand said that the courses would be held for police trainees and traffic police personnel of Dakshina Kannada district first and would be extended to other officers in phases. Head of the Department of Anaesthesiology, KMC, M. Ambaresha told The Hindu that the Basic Life Support course would deal with the administration of life-supporting first aid. Simple techniques that could be used to save lives in emergencies such as snakebites, choking, accidents, and falls would be taught, he said.

Dayanand said that the Police Department was usually the first to be intimated in times of emergency and also to visit the spot. The victims of accidents or other emergencies were often transported to hospitals in police jeeps. However, police personnel lacked expertise on how patients must be handled. Therefore, basic training in first aid for police personnel could help save many lives, he said. Dean of Kasturba Medical College C.V. Raghuveer said everyone should know the basics of providing emergency care.