Helping Those Who Help Others

UNDP helps enhance fist responders' skills in medical aid and psychological support.

December 23, 2023

Every day, hundreds of lives depend on first responders. Yet, even experienced professionals need to constantly improve their skills to provide first medical aid and psychological support in emergency situations.

A training seminar organized by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in cooperation with the READY School of First Aid was held in Minsk for medical workers and psychologists of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Belarus (MES).

Help in case of a foreign body gets in the airway.

Photo: UNDP in Belarus

At the training module for medics 16 doctors serving in emergency in various regions of Belarus practiced their actions in life-threatening situations: bleeding, foreign body aspiration, and cardiac arrest.

Practicing resuscitation on a mannequin.

Photo: UNDP in Belarus

An important module of the training was perfecting CPR technique using еhe new Airway Larry cardiopulmonary resuscitation simulators with interactive monitors, procured by UNDP in partnership with Impresa Ltd. to the Ministry of Emergencies. With their help, participants will be able to apply new knowledge to further train other first responders.

First responders help people on the hardest days of their lives. To stay resilient, those on the front line need psychological support.

The second module of the training session was held with the participation of the psychologists from the Ministry of Emergencies.

Biofeedback and neurofeedback technologies are being actively adopted by mental health providers working with first responders and civilians affected by emergencies. Modern equipment allows to observe and correct in real time the state of a patient’s automatic nervous system: heartbeat, breathing, or body temperature.

Using new technologies, psychologists can help patients recover from traumatic events, teach self-regulation skills, and work on stress management.

The training is organized for the Psychological Service of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Belarus together with Impresa Ltd. in the framework of the «Adaptation of the emergency response system of the Republic of Belarus to function in the adverse global epidemiological situation related to COVID-19» project, implemented by UNDP in partnership with the Ministry of Emergencies with funding from the Russian Federation.

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