Schools initiative to promote life-saving skills

SECONDARY schools in Limerick yesterday took part in a one-day life-saving course.

Students and teachers learned the techniques involved in cardio pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in a pioneering school initiative called Save a Heart at the University of Limerick.

Limerick is the first county in the country to run such a programme, where teachers are trained in defibrillator use and both teachers and students are taught resuscitation skills.

As part of this initiative each school is being provided with a defibrillator free of charge by Fleming Medical Ltd.

A spokesperson for UL said: “The Graduate Medical School of the University of Limerick, the Irish Red Cross and Fleming Medical came together to establish the Save a Heart initiative with the ultimate aim of averting tragedy by increasing awareness of sudden cardiac death and providing people with the skills to intervene effectively in cardiac arrest situations.”

Dr Cathal O’Donnell, of the Graduate Medical School at University of Limerick, praised the eagerness of Limerick schools to get involved in the programme.

“More than 500 young people and 60 teachers will have been trained in these essential skills by the end of April and this training will hopefully be just the first step in developing a sustainable programme in the schools,” he said.