By: Zaki Salleh
IPOH – The death of a seven-year-old student, believed to have suffered an airway obstruction while at school in Selangor, is deeply saddening and has prompted an outpouring of sympathy.
The incident highlights the importance of placing greater emphasis on first aid knowledge among school communities.
My Healthcare Services (MK Ambulance) founder and director, Mazhar Khadir, said first aid knowledge should be introduced to everyone in schools, including students and teachers.
He said such training would provide school communities with the necessary exposure and better prepare them to respond to emergencies before paramedics arrive.
“Life-saving knowledge should not be limited to medical personnel. It should also be known by the public, particularly school communities who may unexpectedly face emergency situations.
“In this regard, MK Ambulance, in collaboration with the Perak State Education Department and Sunway Medical Centre Ipoh, has taken the initiative to introduce the MK School Partner programme, which focuses on first aid.
“This includes cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and choking first aid. These are essential emergency response skills.
“Personally, I would like to extend my condolences to the victim’s family over this tragic incident,” he said.
According to media reports, doctors said the airway of the pupil from Sekolah Kebangsaan Dengkil was believed to have been blocked by food, possibly a banana or chicken.
However, the exact cause of the incident has yet to be determined.
Elaborating further, Mazhar said that since the programme was introduced in July, more than 20 schools had been visited to provide training in choking first aid techniques and practical CPR sessions.
The initiative has reached approximately 14,000 students and teachers.
He expressed hope that the programme would strengthen the knowledge and preparedness of school communities in responding to emergency situations.
He added that similar knowledge should also be extended to the wider community to help save lives when faced with similar incidents.
