(Photo: LifeSavers 2017)

Elham Asaad Buaras

Mosques across the UK took part in the British Islamic Medical Association’s (BIMA) LifeSavers project on September 30. More than 70 mosques turned their premises into training centres for life-saving skills. Last year 35 mosques took part in the one-day annual event.

Over 400 Muslim healthcare professionals volunteered to teach the general public basic life support and first aid skills. The free event ran for approximately 2 hours, covering CPR, Recovery Position and Choking Management and all attendees received a certificate.

BIMA Lifesavers project is now in its fourth year has trained several thousand people.

Working with the British Heart Foundation and the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), it is on track to becoming one of the largest community basic life support training programmes in the UK.

In a statement to The Muslim News Dr Mohammed Wajid Akhter, Director of BIMA Lifesavers, said, “By utilising the hundreds of mosques spread across the country and giving health professionals a prominent platform within them, we hope to reduce the 50,000 deaths due to cardiac arrest that occurs every year, as well as use the opportunity to improve community health and relations.”

Harun Khan, Secretary General of the MCB, said, “This is a great initiative which allows mosques and Islamic centres up and down the country to not just serve as a place of worship but to be service providers for all communities. To learn lifesaving skills together through interfaith initiatives really captures the essence of unity, where communities can learn and come together to save lives”.