Cyberjaya, 1^st August 2016 – Students from Cyberjaya University College of Medical Sciences (CUCMS) had the unique opportunity to experience first-hand and participate directly in the nationwide emergency response operations during the recent Eid festival. These twenty-two Diploma in Paramedical Science students joined the Malaysian Civil Defence Department (Jabatan Pertahanan Awam Malaysia, JPAM) as part of their university-industrial training module.

This module aims to expose students to life as a paramedic and train for them to manage challenging situations. They were part of the government’s nationwide Ops Bantu JPAM during the Eid festive season from 2^nd to 10^th July 2016 and were posted for duty at Tol Bukit Mahkota to Seremban and Tol Senawang to Nilai.

One of the Diploma of Paramedical Science students, Mohd Iskandar Zulshah said “It is a great experience to be able to help public during emergency and panic situations while learning new things at the same time”. They were excited to share their first-hand experience working with paramedical professionals from JPAM.

The team had the opportunity to help victims of road accidents as well as other emergencies. In one the cases, they responded to, an accident victim near Bukit Jalil suffered from hematemesis and unable to stretch his knees. Professional and dedicated care was quickly provided to ease the patients suffering until transfer to a hospital.

Meanwhile, another student Ahmad Shakur Aslam had a different kind of experience, a reptile-related emergency. They were called to respond to a desperate call by a homeowner in Taman Seremban Jaya who reported finding a snake in his house. The team eventually caught the culprit, a copperhead rat snake (C. radiata) which was thankfully not venomous to humans.

Prior to the start of Ops Bantu, these students were involved in the preparing and distributing porridge to civil servants at neighbouring police stations, Fire station and orphanage home for Iftar. Students at CUCMS are passionate for community programme that is in line with our value, nurturing passion to care.

“It’s very tiring but I’ve gained a lot of knowledge with my involvement in Ops Bantu and its very satisfying as we were helping people who were in need” said Cleopatra Anisia, another volunteer. Yet another student, Syafi’ah Diyanah expressed “It’s a whole new experience for me and my team as we need to be on standby for 16 hours straight.”

Nik Mohd. Kamil, a CUCMS instructor had praises for the dedication shown by the students. He expressed an appreciation for the opportunity to work with JPAM. CUCMS has long advocated for close collaborations between the university and its various clinical and training partners. These academic-industry partnerships are vital to ensure CUCMS students are well prepared for the rigours and demand of their working life.