Would you be willing to dedicate an hour of your time to learn how to save a life? Many would answer "yes" without hesitation, but, in practice, do we really make that decision? Every day we interact with people at home, on the street, at work, anywhere. What would you do if, in an unexpected instant, one of those people—known or unknown—suffered a medical emergency? Would you know how to react? Or would panic paralyze you, limiting you to calling emergency services?
Now imagine that you could keep that person alive until medical services arrive. That is the proposal of "One Hour for a Life," a short course that offers training in basic first aid techniques. This program, promoted by the Canary Islands School of Health and Social Services (ESSSCAN), attached to the Ministry of Health of the Government of the Canary Islands, in collaboration with the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC), seeks to train citizens to act effectively in emergency situations.
The goal is clear: to bring this essential knowledge closer to institutes, associations, and society in general. With just one hour of training, we could be prepared to intervene in those crucial first minutes that can make the difference between life and death. Those minutes, well managed, allow a person to have a greater chance of recovery, without serious consequences.
From ESSSCAN, we want everyone to have access to this vital training. Thanks to the support of the ULPGC, we are training professionals who will bring this knowledge to as many people as possible in the Canary Islands, and best of all: free of charge.
In addition to this course, ESSSCAN has implemented a large part of the training for the employment of the staff of the Canary Islands Health Service, scheduled for 2024. We are also continuing to develop the Suicide Prevention Conferences, which have already been held in Lanzarote, Tenerife, and La Palma, in collaboration with the respective Island Councils. This year, we have once again convened the Diploma in Public Health course and, as a novelty, we are working on the creation of a Master's degree that we hope to start before the end of the year.
For more information about our training offer, visit our website: https://essscan.es/ or follow us on our social networks. The possibility of saving a life may be just an hour of your time away.
José Montelongo Espinosa
General Director of ESSSCAN
