The Shanghai Red Cross held emergency response training courses in the city over the weekend, to mark World First Aid Day on Saturday.

About 200 students and residents took part in training on Saturday.

"The primary response to an emergency is key to saving the injured. Artificial respiration and heart massage within four minutes of a heart attack can save the person and prevent long-term brain damage," said Tian Yongbo of the Shanghai Red Cross. "First aid to stop bleeding and covering up the wound are crucial to help an injured person."

Since 2000, the Shanghai Red Cross has provided first aid training to more than 2 million people. It provides different courses to students, ordinary residents and people from various industries such as the service, trade, firefighters, police and electricians.

"Basic knowledge includes stopping bleeding, bandaging wounds, fixing fractures, and artificial respiration and chest massage," Tian said. "In accordance with different jobs, we will teach skills to deal with poisoning, sunstroke, burns and drowning and some small diseases. All these have received good results and do save lives."

First aid training has been included in the textbooks and curriculum at primary and middle schools around the city. The red cross also began offering courses at universities over the past few years.

Local kindergarten teachers and drivers also began to undergo first aid training this year.
"First aid training is very useful. I took part in the training at my neighborhood and learned about possible risks at home, how to prevent them and steps I can take to protect my child," said Gao Lin, the mother of a four-year-old girl.

(Shanghai Daily September 12, 2005)