Learn to respond to emergencies and repair injuries in C-First Aid ‘23
By: Camila Isobel F. Salvador
Got a bump, a bruise, a sprain, or a strain? No worries because “C-First Aid 2023: Call to Action, Response to Safety,” held last November 18, 2023, at the Mere Maria Hall, has us all prepped and trained.
Our school’s very own Youth Medical Team (YMT) hosted this year’s First Aid training in collaboration with the Center for Sports GIFT and varsity classes, as this year’s lecture focused on responding to common sports injuries and emergencies. The chosen representatives of the different Center for Sports GIFT classes and varsity teams had gathered with the members of the YMT to listen to lectures and participate in hands-on training facilitated by trained first-responders.
This year’s theme was Call to Action, Response to Safety, a fitting theme as C-First Aid was held in preparation for the upcoming Sports Fest this December 2023. The event was themed around sports and first-aid — presentations and activities, being the perfect merge of the Center for Sports and YMT. Even so, this theme was applicable not only for the Intrams season or in playing sports but also for injuries and emergencies in general, as C-First Aid aims to prepare for all types of emergencies.
The lecture was taught by Mr. Bong Belaunge, a professional nurse and seasoned emergency medical technician (EMT), to focus on the different types of sports injuries and emergency responses to these. His first lecture focused on the different types and classifications of injuries that often happen in sports and the various ways first-aiders on the field can treat them. A lecture followed this regarding the different illnesses that frequently emerge in sports, along with the “what” and “what not to do” as first-aiders.
The second part of the program was a hands-on activity in which attendees of the event took part in three stations where they could participate in a lesson regarding the correct response to the injuries and illnesses discussed in the lecture portion of C-First Aid. There was a station for the proper use of a stretcher, a station for the different ways to tie a triangular bandage, and lastly, a station for how to splint various injuries.
This year’s C-First Aid had indeed achieved its goal to inform — to teach Paulinians not only first aid but the value of preparedness in sports and in every situation. Even if the focus of this year’s program was on sports medicine, the training gained from the lectures was highly relevant to emergencies that occur daily. These injuries could happen anytime, anywhere, or any day. C-First Aid 2023 has not only taught us how to answer the call to action but also to respond safely in a time of harm.
