Knowing how to administer first aid to someone in emergency situation or in cardiorespiratory arrest is something that everyone should know, even more so when one practises sports or is a competitive athlete. Therefore, Hospital da Luz Guimarães has organized last April 30 a training session in Basic Life Support (BLS) for board members, collaborators, and trainers from Guimarães Tennis Club. The two institutions have established a sports partnership since 2024. In fact, Hospital da Luz Guimarães will be once more the official partner in Campobello Guimarães Ladies Open 2026 – the international women’s tennis tournament, counting for the world ranking, which will take place at Guimarães Tennis Club from 8 to 14 June. All elements of the club that have participated in this BLS training are now able to save lives. Cardiorespiratory arrest is a sudden event that is one of the major causes of death worldwide, and BLS manoeuvres increase substantially the chances of survival of victims when initiated in the first minutes after cardiac arrest. The training started by a theoretical part, where participants learned to identify cardiorespiratory arrest, besides other important aspects, namely what is the “chain of survival” and the lateral recovery position, airway clearing manoeuvres and the risks for the resuscitator. Then, the elements of the club had the opportunity to train BLS manoeuvres on manikins: thoracic compressions and ventilation, to prevent lesions in vital organs (brain and heart) and increase the chances of survival and recovery of the victim. The Hospital da Luz Guimarães team involved in this training comprised nurses João Vieira da Silva and Esperança Lima. Hospital da Luz Guimarães thanks the club for the invitation and all the support provided in the organization of the training. This was another initiative in health that we regularly hold near the community, aiming to enhance knowledge and access to healthcare among the population. When the community so requires, we are there!
