Hospital da Luz Coimbra (HLC) offered to Associação Académica de Coimbra – Football Section (AAC-SF) an automated external defibrillator (AED), a decisive equipment to help people in cardiorespiratory arrest, allowing to re-establish or reorganize the heart rhythm. It is estimated that every 90 seconds one person goes into cardiorespiratory arrest, which is a major cause of death all over the world. The application of Basic Life Support (BLS) manoeuvres resorting to AED increases substantially the chances of survival of the victims, when initiated within the first minutes following a cardiac arrest. “It is with great satisfaction that Hospital da Luz Coimbra joins, once again, the Certification Process of Training Entities by the Portuguese Federation of Football (FPF), undertaken by AAC-SF Coimbra, through the supply of an AED. With this equipment, AAC-SF Coimbra will be able to ensure its athletes an immediate and crucial approach, in the event of a cardiorespiratory arrest (that we hope will never happen)”, refers Pedro Beja Afonso, the director of the hospital. Hospital da Luz Coimbra has been establishing, along this last years, several partnerships with sports associations of the region, viewing to encourage the practice of sport among young people, promote a more active and healthier lifestyle, and offer access to a diversified and highly specialized offer of services and health professionals. The hospital has available a Sports Medicine Centre which, besides preparing athletes for the season, performs the diagnosis, treatment and return to activity after injuries. The AAC-Football Section of Coimbra counts with 350 male and female athletes in football, distributed over eight divisions and competing in the district and national championships of Coimbra Football Association and the Portuguese Federation of Football, respectively; Filipe Preces, the president of the board of AAC – Football Section, thanked for the partnership and praised Hospital da Luz for its constant readiness to help civil society in the prevention and provision of healthcare. “This represents an asset for the club, since although AED is not mandatory by law in sports venues with a capacity below 5 thousand people, it is a fundamental element for the safety of our athletes, trainers and officials, as well as all those who attend our premises every day.” In the photo above, José Viterbo, technical coordinator of AAC-SF, Pedro Beja Afonso, director of Hospital da Luz Coimbra, and Filipe Preces
