Bangalore: Disasters and emergencies are necessarily not an earthquake, or a tsunami or even a devastating fire. Road accidents involving more than one vehicle and injuring many persons, accidents at home or in the work place, accidental poisoning and drowning can be other emergencies, requiring urgent attention.

Often when an accident happens, even on a factory shop floor, the immediate supervisors may only rush to a first aid box. Or, call an ambulance or a fire engine. But there are multiple emergency response agencies, several hospitals and other organisations that can help; if you know how and where to contact them.

Making this job easy and with enough other information packed is a small booklet. The booklet has been compiled by Tejus Crisis and Trauma Foundation, an NGO, with the support of HOSMAT and with inputs from official agencies such as the city police and fire and emergency services.

Sections

The contents and sections range from hospitals and blood banks to city taxi services and even crematoria, with telephone numbers or help lines to contact. There are also details about what to do in an emergency if there is no other help at hand. For example, if a person is in shock after an injury or accident, he or she should be reassured that help is on the way. The victim should be comfortably placed on the back and except in cases of injury on the back, chest or abdomen, the head should be lowered and shifted to a side. In cases of vomiting, the person should be kept in a three quarter "back up" position to prevent choking.

Loosening any tight clothing, wrapping the victim in a rug and not giving anything to drink in case of chest or abdomen injuries, help too; small but significant tips that may even save lives. The thing to remember is that a person giving first aid may not always be a doctor and it may be better to wait for more expert medical before actually shifting an accident victims. Tejus can be contacted on tejusbng@hotmail.com for more details about the booklet and its life saving training programmes.

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