Over 300 collaborators of units within the Hospital da Luz network in Póvoa de Varzim, Vila Real, Amarante and Cerveira received and completed along 2025 training in Basic Life Support (BLS). This training, certified by INEM, is part of a project led by Hospital da Luz Póvoa de Varzim aiming to empower its professionals to intervene in emergency situations with victims in cardiorespiratory arrest, inside or outside hospital environment, going beyond the mandatory training for clinical professional groups. BLS consists in a series of essential procedures destined to assist the victim until the arrival of specialized medical assistance, thus preventing irreversible lesions and significantly increasing the chances of survival with quality. This project originated on a protocol established with the Volunteer Fire Department of Póvoa de Varzim (BVPV), in 2021, driven by Sónia Cancela (in the photo above, in the centre, with the mannequin), trainer and nurse at Hospital da Luz Póvoa de Varzim, thus ensuring technical rigour and pedagogical quality in every session. The training of Hospital da Luz collaborators included: Administrative staff, operational assistants, receptionists, customer service staff, physiotherapists, and other non-clinical professionals. The goal was for everyone to master the essential BLS manoeuvres. It also included differentiated training for clinical professionals dealing more often with critical situations, namely in the inpatient service or 24 hour-emergency service. This way, a series of physicians, nurses and health technicians received additional training in BLS-AED (which integrates the safe and effective use of an Automated External Defibrillator) and Advanced Life Support (ALS), destined to teams directly approaching critical patients (this training counted with the support of association Associação Formar para Salvar). Renewed commitment to the community Since 2022, Hospital da Luz Póvoa de Varzim has been holding regular activities to raise awareness in BLS (adult and paediatric) near several entities in the region. The goal is simple and has high impact: to take saving competences beyond the hospital, thus fostering a community better prepared to intervene in case of emergency. These initiatives have reached different local institutions, such as: Schools and school groups , sensitizing children and youths and allowing them to recognize and act in an emergency, face to a victim in cardiorespiratory arrest. Hotels and tourist units , empowering the professionals daily dealing with large crowds. Gyms and sports clubs , reinforcing surveillance and safety for practitioners and teams. Bikers’ associations , a group where the risk of accident is higher and immediate response may be crucial. Groups of scouts and youth communities , promoting the values of citizenship and preparing for the help to others. By empowering its collaborators and the community it serves, Hospital da Luz Póvoa de Varzim reinforces its mission to ensure safety for patients and takes an active role of social responsibility. Every person prepared to intervene in an emergency is an essential link in the survival chain – be it in the hospital, in the workplace or in public life.
