Lessons in first aid

Since Rotary year 2024–25, the Rotaract Club of Osmania Medical College, RID 3150, has been steadily building a culture of emergency preparedness through its signature initiative — RRR (Respond, Rescue, Revive).

With guidance from the college faculty, Rotaractors, all medical students, conduct emergency survival skills workshops across Hyderabad to equip ordinary citizens with the confidence and ability to respond during a medical crisis. “Our aim is to empower the public with essential first-aid knowledge so they are prepared to act during emergencies anywhere,” says DRR Vamshi Vinodkumar.

So far, the programme has reached nearly 10,000 people, including corporate employees, school and college students, police personnel and ASHA workers. “More recently, we trained the staff at the Rashtrapati Nilayam in Secunderabad,” he adds. The club has also organised exclusive workshops for 500 NCC students and 150 railway employees, training them in CPR and essential life-saving response skills.

The workshop is structured into three interactive sessions. The first covers emergency situations such as hypothermia, heat stroke, electric shock, burns and poisoning, helping participants recognise symptoms and respond appropriately. The second session focuses on wound care and fracture management, including how to improvise a splint or sling, and the correct response to snake or dog bites. The third session trains participants to respond to seizures, choking, vertigo and epistaxis (nosebleeds), and concludes with a comprehensive demonstration of CPR, a vital intervention during cardiac arrest.

What sets the programme apart is its hands-on approach. Each session includes live demonstrations where participants practise techniques under supervision, allowing them to internalise the steps rather than simply memorising theory. The workshops are conducted in phases to ensure continuity and stronger retention of skills. “The initiative not only empowers individuals with life-saving abilities, it also builds a sense of safety, awareness and community preparedness,” says the DRR.

Distribution of cooked food to street and slum dwellers, ORS sachets to street vendors and cleanup drives are some of the other socially relevant projects of the club. “But the RRR initiative remains especially meaningful, because in moments of crisis, a calm, trained bystander can be the difference between life and loss.” Through these workshops, the Rotaractors are ensuring that more people are ready to respond, rescue and revive when it matters most.