Abu Dhabi: The UAE has set a new Guinness World Record for holding the largest lecture on first aid at the National Theatre in the capital on Wednesday.
Abu Dhabi Police clinched the new world record by holding the lecture on first aid which was attended by 2,592 residents and citizens of different age groups, breaking the previous record of the United Kingdom where 1,795 people attended a similar lecture.
The lecture highlighted the right ways of dealing with injured people, safety and medical assistance in emergency situations on the road. It also focused on contacting police and ambulances and demonstrated how to provide first aid to those who are injured in the accident.
It was organised at the National Theatre in Abu Dhabi in celebration of the Year of Zayed to promote the values of the late Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan.
The certificate issued by Guinness World Records authorities reads: “The largest first aid lesson was achieved by the Directorate of Public Safety and Emergency Services (UAE) at the National Theatre in Abu Dhabi, UAE on April 17, 2018,” though it was held on April 18.
Major-General Ali Khalfan Al Daheri, director of the Central Operations Division, received the certificate from Samer Khalouf, head of the records management team of Guinness World Records of the Middle East and North Africa office.
Al Daheri said, “Today, we are meeting to celebrate an unprecedented world record, registered in the Guinness World Records where we delivered the largest lecture pertaining to first aid during emergencies on the road.
“The move was to enhance the safety and security of people and help promote a sustainable economic growth,” he said.
The lecture aimed at spreading awareness among the public and the society. It also intended to train people for emergency situations which require utmost medical care in a swift manner until ambulance crews reach the accident scene.
Colonel Mohammad Ebrahim Al Ameri, director of the Emergency and Public Safety Directorate, said best equipment are used to save lives of people, and to achieve far better results, the public need to be educated about the medical procedures to save lives of injured people and those who are sick.
Such urgent first aid practices on the spot limit the severity of injuries and save lives of people, Al Ameri said.
The lecture included explanations and demonstrations about road accidents, major and minor injuries, household accidents such as fire, fractures, sickness and suffocation.
A number of police emergency vehicles equipped with medical assistance devices were stationed at the theatre to educate people about their role in emergency situations.
Captain Abdullah Ahmad Al Ali of Abu Dhabi Police stressed that a person who is assisting an injured person should know the kind of medical help the person needs and he/she should be trained to deal with such emergency situations. It helps to limit the spread of injuries and save life.
Al Ali emphasised that when an individual provides first aid to an injured person, he should seek permission from the victim or his family but if the injured person is unconscious, he can assist directly using protective devices such as gloves, glasses and face masks.
In emergency, people can call police emergency number 999 to request assistance.
