Wayanad district has set a model for the country in imparting the basics of first aid to students and enabling them to handle medical emergencies through the ‘Ardra Vidyalayam’ project, Muralee Thummarukudy, Chief of Disaster Mitigation and Operations at the United Nations Environment Programme, has said.
Delivering the keynote address at a training session for school teachers in the district as part of the Ardra Vidyalayam project here on Tuesday, Mr. Thummarukudy said the project was a new initiative and should be replicated in all schools in the country.
“The culture of security should begin from schools,” said Mr. Thummarukudy, adding that it should be ensured that schools were safe before imparting basic lessons on security to students.
Topography
The training programme on natural disasters such as floods and landslips should be set in accordance with the topography of each region, he said. If proper training was provided to children, the magnitude of accidents could be reduced during disasters, he added.
The project envisages imparting the basics of performing first aid to as many as 80,000 students in the district. The project also aims at setting up ‘Ardra health corners’ in all schools.
The project was launched in the district in the wake of the death of a 10-year-old student of Government Sarvajana Higher Secondary School at Sulthan Bathery due to snakebite.
