A citizen was honored for saving a child's life at Quba Mosque | Red Crescent

A heroic act in the courtyards of Quba Mosque

In a humanitarian gesture reflecting the highest ideals of nobility and social responsibility, Dr. Ahmed Al-Zahrani, Director General of the Saudi Red Crescent Authority branch in Madinah, honored Saudi citizen Kawthar Al-Haddad. This well-deserved recognition came in appreciation of her courageous initiative and quick thinking in saving the life of an infant who suffered a critical condition involving sudden cardiac and respiratory arrest while inside the Quba Mosque.

The importance of rapid intervention and first aid

The citizen's swift intervention was crucial to the child's survival. Upon noticing the child's condition, she immediately began performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) with remarkable skill and professionalism. In this heroic act, she relied on the valuable skills and knowledge she had previously acquired through first aid training. This correct initial action, with God's grace, helped maintain blood and oxygen flow to the child's brain, significantly increasing her chances of survival until the arrival of the specialized Red Crescent ambulance teams, who completed the necessary medical procedures and transported her to the healthcare facility for intensive care.

Quba Mosque: High visitor volume and the importance of preparation

This incident is doubly significant given its location. The Quba Mosque in Medina holds immense historical and religious importance as the first mosque founded on piety in Islam. The mosque witnesses a daily influx of worshippers and visitors from within the Kingdom and abroad. Having qualified community members trained to handle medical emergencies in such crowded places provides an additional safeguard and effectively contributes to reducing mortality rates and complications resulting from sudden health incidents.

Saudi Red Crescent efforts in raising awareness

For its part, the Saudi Red Crescent Authority explained that this recognition is not merely a celebration of an individual's actions, but rather a living testament to the importance of spreading first aid awareness among all segments of society. The Authority continuously works to provide intensive training courses for citizens and residents, believing that the "first responder" is the most crucial link in the chain of survival. The first few minutes before the ambulance arrives are often the critical interval between life and death in cases of cardiac arrest and suffocation.

Impact of the event at the local and community level

Locally, this event highlights the growing health and community awareness in Saudi Arabia, aligning with the goals of the Quality of Life Program within Saudi Vision 2030, which aims to build a vibrant and healthy society and promote a culture of volunteerism and initiative. The courage and competence of citizen Kawthar Al-Haddad in handling this emergency serves as a model to be emulated and sends a powerful and direct message to all members of society about the importance of learning first aid, so that everyone is ready to help and every individual is prepared to save a life.