ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) organised a countrywide student poster competition in connection with International First Aid Day that is celebrated in September every year under different themes. The purpose of the competition was to raise awareness among people about the need for first aid training and to motivate them to train in first aid for saving precious human lives during emergency situations. The national headquarters received a total of 2,295 posters out of which 283 came from the PRCS Khyber Pakhtunkhwa branch, 280 from Sindh, 172 from Azad Jammu & Kashmir, 277 from Balochistan, 116 from Gilgit-Baltistan, 491 from Punjab and 113 from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). The social media contributed 563 posters. The jury comprised senior artists and the representatives of the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) and PRCS. There were three positions each in category I and category II. The first, second and third positions carried prizes of Rs 30, Rs 20 and Rs 10 respectively. The award distribution ceremony was organised at the Fatima Jinnah Auditorium that was addressed by PRCS Chairman Dr Saeed Elahi. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Saeed Elahi said first aid training contributed a lot towards saving human lives. He appreciated the holding of poster completion and renewed his commitment to accomplish the Society’s mission of ensuring a first aid trainer in every home. PRCS Vice Chairman Dr Nagibullah Malik said the First Aid Training programme was the flagship program of the PRCS and he felt proud to say that the program was running successfully in all parts of the country. Secretary General Khalid bin Majeed spoke in detail about different ongoing programmes of the PRCS. He said encountering emergency situations was not something unusual but part and parcel of human life during which one felt the need for immediate first aid. “The severity and intensity of impact diminishes when one is properly trained in first aid,” he said. ICRC delegation head Reto Stocker and former Islamabad inspector general Tahir Alam Khan also spoke on the occasion. Later, prizes were distributed among the winners. In the children’s category, Ayesha Siddiqa from Jhang won the first prize, Sher Shah from Kohat stood second and Ali Arbab Khan from AJK stood third. In the second category, Ayesha Riaz from the Punjab and Sadia Zulfiqar from AJK stood second and Abbas Khan from the KP stood third. On this occasion, five best performers were also awarded with certificates and prizes. Published in Daily Times, November 16th 2018.