The Republic of Srpska

    The Republic of Srpska Minister of the Interior, Mr Siniša Karan, and the Republic of Srpska Police Director, Mr Siniša Kostrešević, were present today at the initiation of the three-day training for police officers in providing care for the injured persons in prehospital setting, implemented in cooperation with the public health institution ‘Dom zdravlja Banja Luka’ at the Training Centre in Zalužani. On this occasion, Minister Karan said that the training of police officers in providing first aid to the injured persons was one of the most important ones, since it is them who were often first responders at the place of the accident, and added that the three-day education at the Training Centre in Zalužani was for the wellbeing of citizens and protection of their lives. ‘It is important for them to be prepared to act in accordance with the highest medical standards with the aim of saving human lives within a short period that often proves to be crucial. This is a valuable course for our 25 members and I hope they would share their knowledge with their colleagues and larger number of police officers’, Minister Karan said. He reminded that, a decade ago, about 500 police officers passed this type of training and added that this practice should be continued, i.e. the training in accordance with the highest medical standards. 'It is very important to implement this training also for our helicopter unit and to use all the capacities that we have. We wish to train all the police officers so they can properly react and save every life that can be saved’, Minister Karan said. Six licensed instructors from Banja Luka Health community centre shall implement the training for 25 trainees, members of the Uniformed Police Administration, Administration for protecting persons and facilities, Administration for police training, Special Anti-Terrorist Unit and the Training Centre. The director of the Health community centre, Ms Nevena Todorović, stated that one of the exercises would be the simulation of pulling the injured out of a car and other vehicles. ‘The police are often first responders at the location of an accident and it is important that their manner of acting is medically justified and in accordance with the best medical standards when it comes to providing first aid’, director Todorović said.