First aid trainings for the protected areas employees

The Environmental Information and Education Centre (EIEC) of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia (MEPA) has organized a first aid training course for guides, rangers and visitor-service specialists of the Imereti Caves Protected Areas – Sataplia and Promete administration staff.

The course was led by the director of the Anatomical Research Center of Tbilisi State Medical University, neurosurgeon and certified international first aid trainer Constantine Chutkerashvili. The training course was aiming to teach providing an immediate and proper first aid.  The training program included both theoretical and practical exercises on the multifunctional mannequins and simulators.

The course focused on the first aid needed for rangers in their work. It covered issues such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation and hemostasis in field conditions, immediate assistance in case of craniospinal injuries, insect and reptile stings and bites and safe transportation of injured.

The mentioned training is important as for improving the qualification of the protected areas employees as for ensuring the security of visitors. Last year, the number of visitors in the protected areas was up to 1 200 000 million and the Imereti Caves were leading by the number of tourists.

One of the main direction of EIEC’s work is to strengthen capacities of the staff of the Ministry and to improve their qualifications and retrain them in various fields that will contribute to the successful performance of their activities and duties. EIEC has also planned another training course for the entities within the system of MEPA.