How to provide pre-hospital care to victims of Russian terrorist attacks: action plan from the Ministry of Health

On Monday, October 10, 2022, the terrorist state Russia launched massive missile attacks on many cities in Ukraine. At least 19 people were killed and 105 injured. Due to problems with mobile network, in some cases, first aid had to be provided by eyewitnesses of Russian crimes.

In this regard, the Ministry of Health of Ukraine has reminded the algorithm to be followed in case of need for first aid.

How to provide first aid

The most important condition for providing first aid to victims is safety. Therefore, anyone who wants to help victims must first make sure that the danger has passed.

If the victim has minor injuries, you should help him or her move to a safer place and only then begin to provide assistance.

When approaching the victim, the first thing to do is to see if he or she is conscious and breathing. Doctors advise simply asking the victim how he or she is feeling. If the person is conscious, then there is no need to check the pulse and breathing.

If the victim is unconscious, pay attention to his or her breathing: he or she should take 2-3 breaths in 10 seconds.

After that, you should call 103 for an ambulance or call the police and the State Emergency Service and report the emergency.

If the victim has heavy bleeding, it must be stopped. To do this, apply a tourniquet or tight bandage to the limb. This should be done as high on the limb as possible.

After stopping the bleeding, hemostatic agents should be used, or, in the absence of such agents, the victim's wound should be clamped and not released until the arrival of paramedics. The ambulance crew will also need to be informed about when the tourniquet or bandage was applied.

It is also necessary to ensure the victim's airway is clear if he or she is unconscious. To do this, remove visible foreign objects or vomit from the mouth.

If all of the above actions do not result in the victim showing signs of life, cardiopulmonary resuscitation should be initiated.

To do this, the victim should be laid on his or her back and pressed in the middle of the chest with both hands, placing one palm on top of the other. According to the Ministry of Health, the depth of pressure should be 5-6 cm, and the frequency should be 100-120 strokes per minute.

If the victim remains unconscious, he or she should be kept in a stable lateral position until the arrival of paramedics.

Doctors also advise not to leave victims unattended even if they are conscious. Because of the shock, they may try to remove the tourniquet.

The Ministry of Health also advised Ukrainians to watch a short video course that explains in detail how to provide first aid under martial law.

Who call if you feel anxious because of Russian attacks

The Ministry of Health also addressed Ukrainians who are afraid of new large-scale Russian attacks, noting that it is normal to feel fear.

"Ukrainians can not be intimidated, but everyone is afraid, it's normal," the Ministry of Health wrote.

They reminded that there are psychological support hotlines in Ukraine where you can get free and qualified help.

• 0 800 505 201 - Hotline of the Ministry of Health;
• 1547 - Government line;
• 0 800 33 20 29 - Help line for veterans and their families of the Ukrainian Veterans Fund;
• 1548 - Line of the Ministry of Reintegration;
• 0 800 100 102 - Line of the National Psychological Association;
• 0 800 210 160 - Line of the international humanitarian organization Liudyna v Bidi;
• (044) 456 17 02, (044) 456 17 25 - Lines of the Kyiv City Center for Psychological and Psychiatric Assistance in Cases of Mental Crisis;

• 0 800 211 444 - Emotional support line of the International Organization for Migration;
• 7333 - Lifeline Ukraine suicide prevention line;
• 0 800 500 335 (from a mobile or landline); 116 123 (from a mobile) - Line of the NGO La Strada-Ukraine.