After a tragedy, it's critical to give psychological help. It is so essential that the World Health Organization (WHO) designated it as the main topic during the World Mental Health Day topic in 2016.
According to the World Health Organization, psychological first aid is a method of assisting individuals in recovering from crisis by responding to their fundamental needs and demonstrating concern and care in a way that respects their wishes, culture, dignity, and skills.
For example, humanitarian organisations gave psychological first aid to the survivors of the Nepal earthquake in 2015 that killed nearly 9,000 people.
Family members, neighbors, friends, grassroots leaders, and coworkers are typically the first to respond to a disaster before professional aid comes.
Singapore has made significant progress in equipping its citizens to deal with medical crises. Many residents have received training in basic first aid, CPR, and the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED).
With the recent unfortunate incident that happen , we at SGFIRSTAID feel, the time is ripe for Singapore to focus on getting more people trained in psychological first aid.Â
Singapore should aim to have at least one person from every household, workplace and building trained in psychological first aid. That is align with Singapore First Aid Training Centre vision to aspire to be the training provider for all present and future first aider.
As part of its Community Preparedness Programme, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) offers free emergency preparedness training in first aid, CPR, AED, and firefighting. To encourage more families, and eventually all households, to learn psychological first aid, the program should be broadened to incorporate it and this is where SGFIRSTAID Psychological First Aid comes in.
The Workplace Safety and Health (First-Aid) Regulations mandate that where more than 25 persons are employed, first-aiders shall be appointed at the ratio of one first-aider to every 100 persons employed.Â
Singapore should build on this foundation by requiring that everyone be educated in psychological first aid as an essential skills. The government should give significant subsidies during the first years after laws are revised to enable companies and building owners cope with the additional expenses during the pandemic.
Singapore’s National Life Saving Day has focused primarily on the learning of CPR and AED skills. Psychological first aid is also a life-saving skill and should be a focus of future National Life Saving Days. At SGFIRSTAID, we are dedicated to provide our very own on such matter.
The 100% online Psychological First Aid Course is the internationally recognized training for helping individuals during emergencies and provides information on providing psychosocial treatment in the immediate aftermath of an emergency. The Psychological First Aid training is designed to provide first responders the skills they need to address both the physical and mental health needs of those who have been affected. Skills Future Credit and training subsidies are also available making this cost almost nothing at all.
Encouraging more people to learn skills such as psychological first aid will make Singapore a more resilient society that can bounce back more quickly after a crisis. To find out more about Psychological First Aid,
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Tel: 62978123
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