Local company outlines 2020 CPR goal

IT is a massive undertaking, but one local company is making a concerted effort to ensure that by the year 2020 there will be at least one person in every household trained in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR). That’s according to Manager of Regal Development Solutions, Dionne Licorish, as she recently outlined the objectives of the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Project which was developed out a need to empower the general public, in light of recent cardiac deaths and reportedly no attempts to resuscitate within the critical ten minute window.

Located upstairs in the Sandy Crest Medical Centre, Licorish revealed that training sessions have already started and will be carried out in phases.

Phase one will include policy makers and legislators from the public and private sector. In phase two, companies and employees will be targetted and phase three will reach the community level, including social groups and families. She revealed that a “Family Fun” CPR course will be held on June 24.

The project is also advocating the need to have at least one Public Access Defibrillator (PAD) in high traffic public areas such as malls, gyms, and movie theatres in Barbados.

Developed countries have implemented widespread CPR training as well as strategic placement of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in public places for lay persons. These PAD programmes have been used successfully to fill in for a period, until medical help arrives.

The project also intends to maintain 100 per cent compliance with the Safety and Heath and Work Act 2015, as it relates to the amount of CPR providers in an organisation.

It was explained that while Barbados, like a number of Caribbean tourist destinations, have been trying to roll out external CPR Training through Regal Development Solutions, Sandy Crest Medical Centre and the Heart and Stroke Foundation, there is a need for more training to take place and to have the AEDs available in the community. (JH)