Handling a crisis at 4,000 metres

To save lives: Participants learning how to handle various emergencies, ranging from administering first aid (left); to treating serious injuries (right).

KOTA KINABALU: When hikers fall ill or collapse on the slopes of Mount Kinabalu, help can take a while to arrive, and sometimes, minutes make the difference between life and death.

Recognising this, a team of medical professionals, park rangers and rescuers came together on Wednesday for a one-day wilderness basic life support training on Malaysia’s highest peak, aimed at strengthening emergency care in one of the country’s most challenging environments.