Hospital da Luz Vila Real has offered an automated external defibrillator (AED) to Escola Secundária Morgado de Mateus (headquarters of Morgado de Mateus school group). This is an initiative integrated in the project “For a safer school – Let’s save lives together”, that has been developed by Hospital da Luz Network in schools all over the country. The AED delivery to the school happened last June 2 in a small ceremony with the presence of the president of Vila Real Municipality, Alexandre Favaios, the general director of Hospital da Luz Vila Real, Pedro Linhares, the school director, Ricardo Montes, Tânia Guedes, head nurse at Hospital da Luz Vila Real, and Miguel Valério, the Cardio Seguro coordinator and representative of Femédica. Hospital da Luz Vila Real and Femédica, company responsible for the defibrillator, have already provided the mandatory certified training for AED use, englobing six school personnel members. In case of emergency, these will be from now on the operating elements responsible for managing the equipment. “For a safer school – Let’s save lives together” The project “For a safer school – Let’s save lives together” integrates the social responsibility initiatives developed by Hospital da Luz. It was launched in 2022, in Póvoa de Varzim and Vila do Conde, where four schools were equipped with AED, then being gradually extended to other schools in Amarante, Vila Nova de Cerveira, Guimarães, and now also this school in Vila Real. Cardiorespiratory arrest is one of the major causes of death all over the world. BLS (Basic Life Support) manoeuvres and the resort to automated external devices (AED) increase substantially the chances of survival of the victims, when applied in the first minutes after cardiac arrest. According to data revealed by INEM, the large majority of teaching establishments in Portugal do not have AED equipment available. The training provided and devices already delivered in the context of this project represent a decisive added value for these schools, which are now prepared to face situations of cardiorespiratory arrest with the adequate equipment and personnel with the necessary technical knowledge. Hospital da Luz Vila Real promotes regularly near the local community initiatives of social responsibility and education for health. Improving access to healthcare is also part of our mission.
