RHU First Aid Club addressed crisis preparedness during an online session delivered to the members of the club by the club president Mr. Malek Wehbi. From personal preparedness and situational awareness to how to respond to chemical agent deployment, the session gave the audience a comprehensive insight on how to be physically and mentally prepared when a good day goes bad.
The idea of this session emerged from the difficulties the Lebanese have been through over the past year, the forest fires that engulfed Lebanon’s vegetation, and started to burn close to residential areas and the RHU dormitory in Mechref, the nationwide protested in the streets, and the Lebanese revolution due to the ongoing economic crisis.
Mr. Malek Wehbi is an RHU biomedical engineering student. He also serves as a volunteer firefighter, emergency medical technician and combat medic with 5 years ongoing experience in the emergency services field and extensive training in tactical medicine and aquatic emergency life support.
“Our vulnerabilities were exploited, and we were hurt. In the first quarter of the new year 2020, a new zoonotic virus (SARS-CoV2) sweeps the globe infecting thousands and killing millions. We were on our knees prepared to stand back up and dust off our shoulders until the devastating events of August 4. An Explosion in the heart of Beirut took the lives of hundreds and injured men, women, and children, ultimately challenging our healthcare system to its limits. The results of corruption, neglect and terrorism were a ticking time bomb. We were not ready, not on a personal level nor as a community but we will be,” says Malek.
We were not ready, not on a personal level nor as a community. We will be.