Create a basic at-home medical emergency kit with Meri Sehat's comprehensive guide. Be prepared for unexpected situations and emergencies.

A Guide To A Basic At-Home Medical Emergency Kit

First aid first: Having a well-equipped first-aid kit at your home is a great way to ensure you’re always prepared for anything.

Overview

Minor accidents, injuries and ailments can afflict us anytime. We don&rsquo;t always need to rush to the emergency room as some of these afflictions are relatively minor and can be resolved using over-the-counter (OTC) medication. 

However, sometimes we may not be able to seek immediate medical help due to a variety of reasons &mdash; getting stuck in a lockdown, lack of transportation etc. This is why, having a well-equipped first-aid kit at your home or in your car is a great way to ensure you&rsquo;re always prepared for anything. 
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Home Medical Emergency Kit

Just make sure you keep it in a cool dry area and out of the reach of children. Also, regularly check all medication to ensure they haven&rsquo;t expired. Similarly, if you have any tools in there, regularly check whether they work fine or not. 

There are ready-made first-aid kits available but you may want to assemble your own based on your activities and needs. Keep a basic first-aid manual or instruction booklet with your first aid kit as well. Generally, a basic at-home kit should include bandages, cleaning supplies, OTC medications, prescription medication and basic medical tools. 
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The items to include in your first-aid include the following: &nbsp;

<ul>
	<li>Plasters (make sure you have different sizes and shapes)</li>
	<li>Sterile gauze dressings (small, medium and large)</li>
	<li>Sterile eye dressings (at least two)</li>
	<li>Triangular bandages</li>
	<li>Cr&ecirc;pe rolled bandages</li>
	<li>Band aids (all shapes and sizes)</li>
	<li>Safety pins (for tying bandages together)</li>
	<li>Disposable sterile gloves</li>
	<li>Hand sanitiser</li>
	<li>Antibiotic ointment</li>
	<li>Antiseptic solution</li>
	<li>Eyewash solution</li>
	<li>Sterile saline for irrigation, flushing</li>
	<li>Distilled water for cleaning wounds</li>
	<li>Eye wash and eye bath</li>
	<li>Alcohol-free cleansing wipes</li>
	<li>Alcohol swabs</li>
	<li>Sticky tape</li>
	<li>Thermometer (preferably digital)</li>
	<li>BP monitor (preferably digital)</li>
	<li>Glucometer</li>
	<li>Pulse oximeter (especially essential since the COVID-19 pandemic)</li>
	<li>Scissors and tweezers</li>
	<li>Rubber tourniquet</li>
	<li>Aluminium finger splint</li>
	<li>Instant heat and cold packs (the ones you can activate by shaking)</li>
	<li>Cotton balls and cotton-tipped swabs</li>
	<li>Petroleum jelly or other lubricant</li>
	<li>Plastic bags (assorted sizes)</li>
	<li>Surgical masks or KN95 mask</li>
	<li>Syringe, medicine cup or spoon</li>
	<li>Hydrogen peroxide to disinfect</li>
	<li>Skin rash cream, such as hydrocortisone or calendula</li>
	<li>Cream or spray to relieve insect bites and stings</li>
	<li>Painkillers such as paracetamol, infant paracetamol for children, aspirin (don&rsquo;t give to children under 16 years of age) or ibuprofen</li>
	<li>Antihistamines such as diphenhydramine</li>
	<li>Throat lozenges</li>
	<li><a href="https://merisehat.pk/article/natural-remedies-for-the-cold-flu-and-cough">Cough or Cold medication</a></li>
	<li>Antacids</li>
	<li>Laxatives such as ispaghol</li>
	<li>Anti-diarrhoea medication</li>
</ul>

<ul>
	<li>Personal medications that don&rsquo;t need refrigeration. Make sure you have the dosage instructions noted down as well</li>
	<li>If you or a family member has diabetes, keep a juice box, glucose tablets and gels as well as an emergency glucagon injection kit</li>
	<li>Chewable baby aspirin might help someone who has coronary artery disease</li>
	<li>Auto-injector of epinephrine, if prescribed by your doctor</li>
</ul>

Emergency contacts for your general physician, ambulance service etc 
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Bottom Line

At the end of the day, it always pays off to be prepared and ready. If you have the time and resources, we suggest investing in learning some basic first-aid skills as well. These can include knowing how to apply bandages, taking care of small scrapes, pulling out splinters, how to set a splint, Heimlich manoeuvre, how to stop bleeding and performing basic Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). You can also add an instruction manual for these skills to your kit, just in case. We hope this information has helped you set up your home-based, first-aid kit. 
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