East SOS Team in Kharkiv Completes Two-Day First Aid Training
On April 20–21, the Kharkiv team of East SOS completed an advanced course in first aid focused on emergency and wartime response.
Such training sessions are held every six months for the regional team. This time, colleagues from social and psychological programs, legal, monitoring and evaluation, as well as PR and communications departments, took part in it.
Over two days, participants practiced key first aid algorithms, including stopping massive bleeding, performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and using an automated external defibrillator (AED).
Particular attention was paid to responding to injuries and conditions frequently resulting from shelling and emergencies, including fractures, dislocations, burns, hypothermia, pneumothorax, and loss of consciousness. Participants also reviewed mass casualty scenarios and basic techniques for evacuating injured people from the site of an attack.
The final stage of the training involved simulation scenarios with time constraints and increased pressure, requiring quick decision-making and coordinated actions.
With new members joining the team, such trainings are an opportunity to strengthen coordination and improve teamwork in high-risk conditions.
“Combining theory and practice was highly effective. We went through each exercise step by step, with clear explanations of the correct actions. The simulations were as close to real-life situations as possible, which helped us understand what needed to be done here and now. Every day, our team provides assistance at sites of russian attacks in Kharkiv, in frontline villages of the region, and in transit centers – so everyone has to be ready for emergencies,” said Olena Davidova, Regional Manager at East SOS.
The training was conducted by certified instructors from the European Resuscitation Council, the All-Ukrainian Resuscitation Council, and the NGO “First Aid Courses CAB”.
The training took place within the Accessible Accommodation and Tailored Support Services for Vulnerable Displaced Persons in Kharkiv Oblast project, implemented with financial support from the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund (UHF).
