CWS News

In case of emergency, knowledge and skill on how to give first-aid may prevent severe injuries or death. Refugees are considered more vulnerable just because they do not speak the same language as the local community or people in community’s healthcare center. When an emergency occurs, fellow refugees from the same country or with the same language are expected to provide assistance because they could be closer than CWS’ Health Officer or even paramedic.

Therefore, it is important to equip the refugees with proper first-aid knowledge and skill, which can help save lives in case of emergency. Church World Service held first-aid training for refugees in 2009 and info sessions in 2010. The participants were expected to provide assistance in case of emergency. However refugees and/or asylum seekers always come and go. At the end of 2010 many refugees and asylum seekers have been resettled elsewhere; among them were those who participated in the first-aid training and info session. 

With the above consideration, it is important to have a regular first-aid training or info session. Another first-aid training was held at Wisma ex-Pertamina, Cisarua, on July 13, 2011 for the refugees who are currently living in Cipayung, Bogor. The training, which was  facilitated by Dr. Weni Puspitasari from M.H. Thamrin Bogor Hospital, aimed to enhance participants’ knowledge on the principles of first-aid and to improve their skills in performing first-aid with minimum or no medical equipment as well as knowledge on CWS’ healthcare referral procedures.

Dr. Weni Puspitasari of M.H Thamrin Hospital explaining the participants about emergency cases. The Twenty-three participants are representatives of each country of origin.
(Nofri Raco/ CWS Indonesia)

The first-aid training consisted of three sessions. The first session allowed the participants to learn about common domestic illnesses such as diarrhea, including  dehydration, fever, headache, stomach ache and vomiting that could lead to an emergency situation. Although it’s not considered as emergency, participants were told to be aware and taught how to deal with these illnesses before getting help from paramedic in healthcare facilities.

The second session covered emergency cases such as heart attack, poisoning, and convulsions. The participants were taught how to identify these cases of emergency and how to deal with it at home. In this session participants received information on healthy-living behavior as prevention to sickness.  

Not only learning the theory, participants were also allowed to practice how to treat some illness or emergencies. A refugee of each country had the opportunity to practice treating wound using elastic bandage, hand washing and checking vital signs. In order to test the participants’ knowledge after the sessions, a quiz session with interesting prizes provided for participants who answered the questions correctly was also conducted.

Naguleswari of Sri Lanka is demonstrating correct hand washing as a preventive action of diarrhea or other illnesses.
(Nofri Raco/ CWS Indonesia)

Among the twenty-three participants, Huang Fu Qing from China was one of those who found the training benefiting, “I received so many useful information from the training. Now I know what to do in case of emergency and I also gain knowledge on diseases and illnesses that can be prevented and treated,” said the 33-year-old lady who has been living in Jakarta for almost a year now. “I hope UNHCR and CWS will never stop assisting us in here. I am very grateful,” she continued.

“The first-aid training was in line with the objective of CWS’ Protecting Urban Refugees through Empowerment (PURE) Program to provide basic needs and essential services for the refugees,” said Hindra Sulaksono, the Program Manager. “By training a refugee of each country of origin as a representative, we hope that they can give first aid to their fellow refugees during emergency and pass the information and knowledge to others,” added Hindra. [LR/Jakarta/2011]