PLASTIC Surgery Day observed

Ludhiana, July 15, 2013: DMCH, Ludhiana today observed Plastic Surgery Day by oganising a ‘Fire Safety’ workshop for school children in Dumra Auditorium.
Around 50 children from Rajinder Public School, Durgapuri and Government School for Girls, Haibowal Kalan attended the workshop. The workshop introduced participants to the fundamentals and practice of burns prevention and fire safety.
Secretary Prem Kumar Gupta expressed his concern for educating young children about adopting various measures to be adopted to prevent fire accidents. Principal Dr Daljit Singh told the students to grasp every bit of information being given to them during the workshop, so that they can share the knowledge with their friends and family at home. Fire prevention and safety education are fundamental ways to protect your family from fire danger. Each one of us should take the time to learn what to do in case fire breaks out in your home, said Dr Daljit Singh. A booklet on ‘Burns Prevention & Fire Safety’ was also released during the occasion.
During the workshop, Dr Sanjeev Uppal (Professor & Head of Plastic Surgery & Presdident-NZAPSI) demonstarted a list of quick, easily implemented fire safety tips and prevention measures to help them to ensure that their family is safe and protected from harm at all times. He emphasised that fire prevention is the best defense against fires and burn injuries and is key to home fire safety.
Essential ‘Fire Safety Tips’ were given to the students. Some of these are, as under:
Kitchen safety- Never leave your pots and pans on the hot stove unattended. Try to have a working fire extinguisher in your kitchen and other areas where you might have an open flame, like near a fireplace or backyard barbeque grill.
On your way out- Before leaving home (even if it’s just for a few minutes) be sure to turn off and/or unplug appliances like coffee makers, curling irons, toasters and clothes irons. It’s also important that you not leave candles unattended, so remember to blow them out!
Electrical Wiring- If you experience any problems, or suspect any issues with the electrical wiring in your home, have an experienced electrician come and conduct an inspection immediately.
 Plan an escape- In the best interest of your family, have everyone practice how to get out of the house in the event of a fire. Be sure to designate a meeting place outside the home, so you’ll all know when everyone is out safely.
 Make a fire safety checklist- Sit down with your family, and make a checklist of fire prevention and safety measures, including ways to prevent fires at home, as well as the steps to take should an actual fire occur. Post this checklist on the refrigerator, bulletin board, or other highly visible area for quick and easy access at all times.
Hemant Ohri, Fire Officer, DMCH trianed the students about the usage of fire extinguishers. In his lecture, Ohri said that the use of a fire extinguisher in the hands of a trained adult can be a life and property saving tool. However, a majority of adults have not had fire extinguisher training and may not know how and when to use them. Fire extinguisher use requires a sound decision making process and training on their proper use and maintenance. Dr Rajinder Mittal (Treasurer- NZAPSI) and Dr Ramneesh Garg from Department of Plastic Surgery that different types of fires require different types of extinguishers. For example, a grease fire and an electrical fire require the use of different extinguishing agents to be effective and safely put the fire out. Basically, there are five different types of extinguishing agents. Most fire extinguishers display symbols to show the kind of fire on which they are to be used.
The students were also given a chance to practically show the usage of fire extinguishers in case of breakdown of fire.