The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) launched its first-ever Nationwide First Aid Olympics in line with the celebration of World First Aid Day (WFAD) 2024.
With the theme “First Aid and Sports,” this year’s WFAD aims to showcase the critical role first aid education plays in sports as an industry where injuries and medical emergencies often occur. The event also intends to ensure and promote the safety and well-being of athletes, spectators, and communities in sporting environments worldwide.
“You never know when you’ll need to revive a loved one who is experiencing cardiac arrest, so it is always better to be prepared than sorry.”
PRC Chairman and CEO Dick Gordon reiterated the importance of first aid training saying “I envision that there will be a first aider in every home, school, and community. Time is of the essence in a medical emergency, and you might just be saved by a family member who is a trained first aider. Or, you never know when you’ll need to revive a loved one who is experiencing cardiac arrest, so it is always better to be prepared than sorry.”
According to the PRC Safety Services, the First Aid Olympics corresponds to the WFAD’s theme as it bolsters first aid knowledge and skills, particularly in sports-related emergencies.
The event had three levels: chapter, regional, and national with four categories (Red Cross Youth Senior, Red Cross Youth College, Red Cross 143 Volunteer, and Emergency Response Team (ERT). Every participating PRC Chapter will hold a chapter-based Olympics.
The winners of chapter-based Olympics will advance in the regional contest and the successful contestants will earn their right to represent their respective chapters in the national competition.
The participants’ theoretical and practical first-aid knowledge and skills in solving various emergency scenarios will be tested as the competition progresses.
The recruitment process kicked off on the celebration of WFAD 2024 this September 14 which will last until the 30th.
The chapter-level Olympics will begin on October 16 while the regionals will commence on November 9. The much-awaited championship will be held simultaneously on December 5 at four strategic locations yet to be identified.
“We will give away newly procured first aid kits and emergency supplies worth thousands of pesos to our winners.”
“We’re very excited to launch this another meaningful endeavor of the PRC and I hope that all our chapters will join to encourage more people to learn first aid. Besides, we will give away newly procured first aid kits and emergency supplies worth thousands of pesos to our winners. Magagamit nila ito sa pagpapalakas ng kanilang kapasidad na makapagsalba ng mas maraming buhay,” PRC Secretary-General Dr. Gwen Pang added.
The PRC’s First Aid Olympics is a part of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement’s (IFRC) Vision 2030, a framework that provides for the integration of first aid education and practice into all health and care activities of the Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies.
