Priority 2 - Strengthen First Aid and Psychosocial Support Services

Priority 2 focuses on the provision of emergency services and support. This builds on MRC’s current role in providing First Aid and PSS as part of emergency response. First Aid is considered a strength of MRC and MRC has potential to consolidate PSS which it has started in the recent past. The strategy involves increasing first aid and PSS service availability, strengthening the quality of first aid and PSS services, and increasing overall first aid capacity of communities and service providers through training. While emergency response services typically include a range of actions, this Priority establishes the fact that MRC’s lead role and core expertise in emergency services would be in first aid and PSS.

The Priority also recognizes that while the key priority is to strengthen First Aid and PSS as an emergency service, MRC would play an active role in expanding its Commercial First Aid Programme, community first aid, and mental health related interventions so that first aid and PSS teams can be engaged during peace time to enhance MRC’s role and support in these two areas.