The event was graced by distinguished guests, including Dr. Adil Haider, Dean of the Medical College at AKU, and Professor Salim Virani, Vice Provost for Research at AKU, who addressed the audience. Other attendees included focal persons and institute heads from all PLSP and FEAMER partner institutes. Despite the chilly Karachi night, guests engaged in networking opportunities over a scrumptious dinner catered by the university's NFSD post-ceremony.
The celebration highlighted PLSP's journey to training 300,000 life savers across all four provinces of Pakistan in CPR and bleeding control. Dr. Noor Baig, lead physician of PLSP, addressed the ceremony, sharing insights into the programme's vision, his personal motivations, and the programme's journey to training 300,000 life savers.
The cornerstone of the Pakistan Life Savers Programme, comprised of its exemplary trainers and master trainers, were honored with special recognition and awards. Among them, PLSP ambassadors, distinguished as the top-performing master trainers, were also celebrated. Notably, Tamseel Tanwir Awan, a distinguished PLSP Master Trainer from Dow University of Health Sciences, received a special accolade for her remarkable achievement of single-handedly training over 600 life savers within her institute. Beyond her impactful training efforts, she recently performed timely CPR, saving the life of her neighbor.
Late Dr. Seemin Jamali, a former member of the PLSP National Advisory Board, was remembered for her contribution to PLSP and the field of emergency medicine in Pakistan. In her memory, Deeba Shahnaz of Punjab Emergency Services Department Rescue1122 earned the esteemed Dr. Seemin Jamali Award for Excellence in recognition of her exceptional efforts in advancing PLSP's mission in Punjab. Thanks to the dedicated work of her team, PLSP has successfully trained more than 260,000 individuals in CPR and Bleeding Control across the province.
Dr. Naveed Yousuf, Director of the AKU Examination Board, received acknowledgment for incorporating the PLSP Curriculum into AKU EB Schools.
Team awards recognized heads and focal persons from various institutions, including Sindh Emergency Rescue Service, National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Tabba Heart Institute, Dr. Ziauddin Hospital, Dow University of Health Sciences, Khyber Medical University, Azad Jammu Kashmir Medical College, and SMBB Institute of Trauma (SMBBIT).
Partners and key contributors involved in the Centre's FEAMER project, dedicated to revolutionizing care for critically ill children during ambulance transportation, were acknowledged. Utilizing state-of-the-art video calling technology, the FEAMER project facilitates real-time connectivity between doctors and Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs). This empowers them to remotely assess the child's condition and deliver crucial medical guidance, thus revolutionizing pediatric emergency care. Awards were handed over to FEAMER partners, including the Child Life Foundation and Sindh Integrated Emergency and Health Services (formerly AMAN Foundation).