Around 10,000 school and college students will be trained to deal with emergency medical situations, including cardiac arrest and road accidents, in a phased manner in Puducherry.

The programme is a joint initiative of ICMR’s INDIA-EMS Project (National Health Research Priority Project), Department of Emergency Medicine and Trauma, Jipmer, Mera Yuva Bharat, an autonomous organisation under Ministry of Youth Affairs, Puducherry Health department and Care Max Foundation.

The programme titled ‘Mission Jeevan-Yuva Safety Corps’, was launched at the Petit Seminaire Higher Secondary School by Director of Heath and Family Welfare, Puducherry Sevvel, on Tuesday. Around 200 students attended an interactive scientific session at the launch, a release here said. 

“The initiative seeks to bridge the crucial gap between the occurrence of a medical emergency and the arrival of professional healthcare services by equipping the youth with practical skills in hands-only CPR, bleeding and hemorrhage control, basic trauma response, automated external defibrillator awareness and emergency communication,” the release said.

Mission Jeevan was aimed to transform ordinary students into confident first responders capable of taking lifesaving action before emergency medical teams arrive. Timely medical intervention could improve survival and reduce long-term disability, the release said.