The project, especially innovative not only at provincial but also regional level, has various purposes: promoting the participation of young generations in Volunteering in a period, especially after the Covid-19 pandemic, which also sees a constant decrease in volunteers in associations in the province of Modena; bring young people closer to voluntary health associations by providing students with an opportunity to acquire skills in the emergency area; strengthen, through participation in the activities of voluntary associations, positive relationships with local communities.
The project is intended for students enrolled in the degree courses of Department of Life Sciences based in Modena and includes a specific training course conducted by healthcare professionals from the inter-company Emergency-Urgency Department in collaboration with voluntary associations: 63 ore training course in which all the topics relating to medical transport will be addressed in addition to them 270 ore per year of training on the vehicles of voluntary associations, therefore ambulances and other equipped vehicles. The commitment required is approximately 6 hours per week.
They can participate in the training course 28 students and each participant will be awarded a scholarship for a total of 72 miles euro financed by the Modena Local Health Authority through the Corporate fund for independent research and innovation. Participation is subject to an evaluation during the interview in which the preferential requirements will be considered to have attended a course on the use of semi-automatic defibrillators (BLSD), to have already carried out experience in voluntary associations, to have already acquired healthcare training and seniority in the degree course. The hours of training on vehicles they can be carried out in one of the many offices of voluntary associations in the province of Modena, participants can express up to three preferences. A working group will monitor the student’s activity throughout the course.
Thanks to this initiative, a group of young people will be able to get to know and get closer to the voluntary associations which in the province of Modena constitute a complex reality providing fundamental support to healthcare companies.
They are present overall 32 ANPAS, 5 committees and 8 offices of the Italian Red Cross, 2 Misercordiefor a total of approximately 4 thousand volunteers.
In 2023 the Emergency-Urgency services in the province of Modena were approximately 88 miles of which 54% were carried out by the 118 Modena Soccorso Service, 33% by ANPAS, almost 10% by the CRI.
As for the secondary transport (e.g. transport between hospitals, dialysis patients, transfers) the majority is carried out by associations: in 2023 (data as of October 31) i 49 thousand services carried out were managed 59% by ANPAS, 19% by the CRI, 19% by ASL and the remainder by the Misericordie and other associations. These services add well 60mila travel for transport of dialysis patients carried out almost exclusively by associations.
“For several years, Modena healthcare companies have been operating in synergy with local voluntary associations which are essential partners in responding to the health needs of the population – comments the General Director of the Modena Local Health Authority Anna Maria Petrini – with this particularly innovative project, which sees us together with the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, we want to try to support the activities of the associations by introducing new ‘lifeblood’, volunteers, but also offer young university students the opportunity to acquire skills in the emergency healthcare area through an in-depth training experience and promoting the values of volunteering”.
“This initiative represents a significant step towards strengthening the interaction between the academic field and the realities of volunteering, crucial sectors for the well-being of our community – underlines the professor Michele Zoli Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery of the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia – The objective is twofold: on the one hand, we want to encourage young people to actively participate in volunteering, a sector which has suffered a worrying decrease in membership. On the other hand, we intend to offer our students an important opportunity for learning and professional growth in the field of emergency-urgency, an area of extreme relevance and relevance in the healthcare field. We are convinced that students, through this project, in addition to acquiring valuable and applicable skills in real life situations, will also develop a strong sense of belonging and responsibility towards the community”.