Manipal Hospitals, Goa’s campaign – ‘Rakshak – The Saviour’ aims to address the rising number of medical emergencies, enabling residents of Goa to respond to emergency situations by teaching them Basic Life Support (BLS) activities.
Goa, 29th September 2022: Manipal Hospitals, Goa, on the occasion of World Heart Day 2022, has launched a new campaign – ‘RAKSHAK” – ‘The Saviour’ to address the medical emergencies and enable residents of Goa to respond to emergency situations by teaching them Basic Life Support (BLS) activities.
Hon. Chief Minister of Goa, Shri Pramod Sawant inaugurated the first session of Rakshak, which trained 125 men and women from the Goa Police force, Department of Transport [RTO], Kadamba Transport Corporation Ltd [KTCL], Goa Human Resource Development Corporation [GHRDC] and Goa Fire and Emergency Services. Raskshak is aimed at training people from various public sectors [Central and State government departments] and private communities in Life Saving Skills such as Basic Life Support or BLS.
Speaking on the initiative, Hon. Chief Minister of Goa, Shri Pramod Sawant, said, “Our State is known for receiving millions of tourists every year. In recent times, we have seen an increase in accidents ― with 200 accidents occurring on an average every month. It has become increasingly evident to us that there is a rising need to medically train the people of Goa to respond to such situations effectively. I am glad to have been associated with Manipal Hospitals that launched this initiative which can potentially save hundreds of lives.”
Mr. Surendra Prasad, Hospital Director – Manipal Hospitals, Goa, said, “We are glad to have our Hon. CM of Goa to have inaugurated this campaign which aims at reaching out to the residents of our state to become the Rakshak or the saviour of a life in a situation of emergency. When it comes to emergency situations, the time immediately following the event ― before the first responders can arrive at the scene ― is crucial in saving a life. Hence, Rakshak aims at turning bystanders (citizens) to act as first responders by giving them training in Basic Life Support activities.”
Shri. Hari Prasad, HOD – Sales and Marketing Department, Manipal Hospitals Goa also shared his thoughts on the Raskshak initiative with the participants and delegates – Hon. CM Dr. Pramod Sawant, Shri. Dipak S. Desai, Director Directorate of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Shri. Rudolfo Fernandes, MLA Santacruz, Shri. Nitin Raikar, Director of Fire & Emergency Services, Shri. Surendra Prasad – Director Manipal Hospitals Goa, Dr. Aditya Gosawi, Medical Superintendent, Manipal Hospitals Goa, Dr. Shekhar Salkar, Chief of Oncology Department, Manipal Hospitals Goa and Dr. Jeedhu, Head of Department of Emergency and Trauma at Manipal Hospitals Goa & Manipal Hospitals Mangalore.
