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Lifesavers in Creetown
Monday saw
the Creetown Youth Group invite the team from Heartstart to run an Emergency
Life Support training session for them.
Team members David Hirst, Anne Hirst and Margaret McAllister, together
with a member of the Wigtownshire Health and Wellbeing team, Samantha O’Malley, presented the 2 hour hands on
course to 25 participants covering recognition of a Heart Attack, how to deal
with it (including the use of a defibrillator) how to deal with someone who is
unconscious, is choking or has severe bleeding.
Having
mastered the simple techniques which save lives, the Youth Group members were
presented with Certificates. This was the third course in Creetown in recent
weeks, following the siting of their first defibrillator at the Waverley Hall
and means there are now 65 people in the village trained in its use. Creetown
Initiative are arranging further courses after Christmas and there are plans by
the Creetown Gala Committee to install another defibrillator in the near
future. These will vastly improve survival rates following a Heart Attack from
less than 10% to as much as 50%.
Courses in
other areas of Dumfries & Galloway can be arranged through David Hirst on
01988 700637 or email davidhirsthome@gmail.com. Instructors are volunteers so the only costs
are for travel expenses and in some cases, such as this one, can be covered by
the NHS.
