Most of us have been there: binge-watching a Netflix tv series in one seating. For some, this show takes place in a hospital and digs into the very personal (and sometimes glamorous) lives of the surgeons, specialists, and nurses. To name a few medical dramas: House M.D., Grey’s Anatomy, and The Good Doctor have been created to directly mimic the look and feel of a hospital. However, when it comes to performing CPR on a victim in dire need of help, hearing the words ‘Don’t worry, I saw this on TV’, isn’t actually reassuring.

CPR cannot be learned through Dr. Grey. It is a complex practice that requires training. Fortunately, the School of Pharmacy and School of Medicine and Health Sciences organised a workshop on CPR and first aid in Week 6 to educate naive Monash-ians about it.  The workshop was conducted by a team of trainers from St Johns Ambulance Malaysia. The participants were taught how to handle common situations in daily lives. They were given hands-on training in CPR by the team. It was an interactive and educational session which delivered the skills and confidence to conduct first aid and CPR in real-life emergencies. The session also made me realise that I needed to hit the gym more often because my arms felt weak after the third cycle of chest compressions. But it’s alright, there were free cookies up for grabs after the intense chest compression sessions. Luckily, no one started cutting off the face of the CPR dummy like Dwight did in The Office. Those who have watched that episode knows what I’m talking about. Those who have NOT watched it, please watch and learn what NOT to do when resuscitating a person.

The St Johns Ambulance team had also organised a few exhibitions on medical equipments and for those who has also always wondered what is inside an ambulance, they had an exhibition on that too! Furthermore, they have arranged a station where we can learn different bandaging techniques. Overall, I would say it was a very interesting and educational event. I wished many more students actually came to support and participate in these sessions and competitions that were held. Life is full of uncertainties and is hard to predict if an accident is going to happen. Being prepared to step in and save another person’s life in an event of an emergency can be an empowering feeling. Hence, I would like to encourage everyone who is reading this now, to go and learn a thing or two about CPR if MUSA decides to organise another first aid training workshop in the near future.

Text by Ashreka Kalaichelvan

Photos by Ivan Liew