MINSK, 14 March (BelTA) - The national educational project for high school students Restart a Heart has started in Belarus, Yuri Slobodin, Deputy Chief Physician for Surgery at the National Clinical Medical Center of the Belarus President Property Management Directorate, Chairman of the Belarusian Society for Simulation Training in Medicine, told the media, BelTA has learned.
Similar classes for schoolchildren began today in all regions. In addition to the National Clinical Medical Center, the campaign involves all simulation centers based at 16 medical colleges, four medical universities, and the national simulation center in Minsk. As in 2024, Ostrovets Central District Hospital, which has its own simulation center, has also joined. The hospital will cover three nearby districts.
He clarified that at the National Clinical Medical Center welcomed students from Minsk gymnasiums No. 4 and No.20 early in the morning. The second shift will see schoolchildren from Machulishchy and Mikhanovichy.
When asked about how the children were selected to participate in the project, Yuri Slobodin noted that the selection was not based on specialist classes. “The goal of this campaign is to reach as many secondary schools as possible in order to teach children first aid basics. During the 2024 campaign, we managed to train 20,000 children. We have set the same minimum target for this year,” he said.
As Yuri Slobodin explained, the training classes begin with a short introductory theoretical course, where instructors provide an understanding of what the students will be doing and explain how to correctly perform the procedures. Then the main focus is on practical training, allowing the students to try their hand at performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation, stopping bleeding, and performing immobilization.
“We have mannequins for this purpose. When green lights light up on the mannequins, it’s an indicator that cardiopulmonary resuscitation is performed correctly, that there is a deep enough breath, a good compression. This means that the person we are helping has a chance of staying alive until the ambulance arrives,” Yuri Slobodin explained.
“The children, figuratively speaking, were 'restarting the heart’ of their region. It was very symbolic for them, and they were very serious about it. You know what else impressed me? The children were excited about it, they were very proud of their regions,” Yuri Slobodin noted.
In addition to 1,000 children in the arena, about 2,000 watched the event from the stands. Schoolchildren from all regions of the country were also spectators of what was happening. It turned out to be not only a kind of final exam, but also an event that united young people.
The project has been organized on the initiative of the Belarusian Society for Simulation Training in Medicine with the support of the National Clinical Medical Center of the Belarus President Property Management Directorate, the Healthcare Ministry and the Education Ministry. 
Photos by Ramil Nasibulin/BelTA
“This is the second edition of the campaign. The first one was held in 2024. The campaign was initiated by our center, the National Clinical Medical Center of the Belarus President Property Management Directorate,” Yuri Slobodin said. “We are very pleased that the campaign traditionally starts at our center. We have a quite advanced simulation center where we provide postgraduate education.”
Similar classes for schoolchildren began today in all regions. In addition to the National Clinical Medical Center, the campaign involves all simulation centers based at 16 medical colleges, four medical universities, and the national simulation center in Minsk. As in 2024, Ostrovets Central District Hospital, which has its own simulation center, has also joined. The hospital will cover three nearby districts.
Schoolchildren will be trained over the course of two months, until 15 May, every Saturday as part of the sixth school day. The project will conclude with a large-scale flash mob.
“All our simulation centers, including our center, will be teaching children on Saturdays in two shifts. each school will send about 15-16 children: 30 people in the first shift, 30 people in the second shift,” Yuri Slobodin noted.
When asked about how the children were selected to participate in the project, Yuri Slobodin noted that the selection was not based on specialist classes. “The goal of this campaign is to reach as many secondary schools as possible in order to teach children first aid basics. During the 2024 campaign, we managed to train 20,000 children. We have set the same minimum target for this year,” he said.
Moreover, the organizers have set themselves the task of including schoolchildren not only from large and medium-sized cities but also from small towns and villages in the project, so that these young people also gain knowledge and skills.
“We have mannequins for this purpose. When green lights light up on the mannequins, it’s an indicator that cardiopulmonary resuscitation is performed correctly, that there is a deep enough breath, a good compression. This means that the person we are helping has a chance of staying alive until the ambulance arrives,” Yuri Slobodin explained.
He emphasized that upon seeing someone collapse, bystanders must call an ambulance and then provide proper first aid. It is extremely important to perform all actions correctly.
The project in 2024 concluded with a large flash mob at Minsk Arena. 120 schoolchildren were selected from each region.
“The children, figuratively speaking, were 'restarting the heart’ of their region. It was very symbolic for them, and they were very serious about it. You know what else impressed me? The children were excited about it, they were very proud of their regions,” Yuri Slobodin noted.
The project has been organized on the initiative of the Belarusian Society for Simulation Training in Medicine with the support of the National Clinical Medical Center of the Belarus President Property Management Directorate, the Healthcare Ministry and the Education Ministry. Photos by Ramil Nasibulin/BelTAFollow us on:
