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RANAU: Most people who experience cardiac arrest at home, at work or in a public location die because they don’t receive immediate CPR from someone on the scene.

“As a bystander, don’t be afraid. Your actions can only help. If you don’t know CPR, perhaps it’s time to learn. Performing CPR will require some extent of physical exertion.

“Therefore, this may not be suitable for women in late stage of pregnancy and those with back, arm or knee injuries that will hinder one from kneeling or performing chest compressions,” said Ranau district health officer Dr Wong Yoke Kong.

“Being trained in CPR provides the knowledge, confidence and skills to stay calm in a medical emergency and help a person in need,” he told 50 Tuaran health staff participating in a Basic Life Support (BLS) course.

BLS includes CPR but is an overall higher level of medical care typically administered by public safety professionals, first responders, paramedics, healthcare providers and qualified bystanders.

The BLS course equips participants with the knowledge and skills to recognize life-threatening emergencies, provide CPR, use an Automated External Defibrillator (AED), and manage choking situations.

These courses are designed for both healthcare professionals and the general public, emphasizing practical skills for both single-rescuer and team-based approaches.

The organisers plan to continue organising such courses more actively in the future, in order to improve the preparedness and effectiveness of emergency interventions among healthcare workers.

The programme organised by the Tuaran Area Health Office aimed at strengthening BLS skills among clinical staff consisting of medical officers, assistant medical officers and nurses from Tuaran, Ranau and Kota Belud.