Hospital da Luz Clínica de Cerveira initiated on October 31, at Vila Nova de Cerveira Primary and Secondary School, the initiative “For a Safer School – Together, we will save lives” (Para uma Escola mais Segura – Juntos vamos salvar vidas). The goal is to give training in BLS (Basic Life Support) to secondary students, viewing to increase the school population competence in this area and thus contributing to reduce one of the main causes of death in the world: cardiorespiratory arrest. The training sessions are provided by a team of Hospital da Luz nurses – Amadeu Moreira, Isabel Pereira and Sónia Cancela –, all of them with BLS experience with AED (automated external defibrillator). On October 31, 50 students of the 11 th grade, divided in small groups, heard the explanations of the Hospital da Luz team, having afterwards the opportunity to practise BLS manoeuvres in manikins, under the nurses’ supervision. This Hospital da Luz project will be developed along the following months, being planned to also include students of the 12 th grade and to offer the school an AED defibrillator, as well as specific training sessions for a few elements on the manipulation of this device. For a Safer School – Let’s save lives together Every 90 seconds, a person is estimated to go into cardiorespiratory arrest, which is one of the major causes of death worldwide. The BLS manoeuvres increase substantially the chances of survival of the victims, when initiated in the first minutes after the cardiac arrest. The majority of the population, however, does not know what those manoeuvres are. On the other hand, according to recent data, only 200 out of the 5,000 educational establishments in Portugal have an AED device. It is with great joy and enthusiasm that Hospital da Luz Clínica de Cerveira joins this cause. We are certain that this initiative will be an asset for the schools in this region and for the community in general , for everyone will be more prepared to deal with situations of cardiorespiratory arrest.
