DOCTOR HAPPY ABOUT CARDIO-RESUSCITATION TRAINING PROGRAM
Editor:
I am enthusiastic about the partnership between Destination Osoyoos and St. John's Ambulance to provide cardio-resuscitation training for at least 2,000 Osoyoos residents over the next three years.
I recognize that providing good cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is the first step in keeping the patient alive until the patient can receive external defibrillation and Advanced Cardiac Life Support. Destination Osoyoos and St. John's Ambulance are also providing training for the use of an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) which shocks the heart back into sinus rhythm.
Applying an AED to a collapsed patient within minutes is the most likely treatment to succeed with most cardiac dysrhythmias.
Automated External Defibrillators are currently located at the office in the Sonora Centre, near the Zamboni at the Sun Bowl Arena and in both ambulances.
I recommend that we purchase several more AEDs that could be strategically located throughout the town to provide the best opportunity for CPR to be treated promptly and effectively.
An AED located on the east side of Osoyoos in one or two locations and an AED downtown in either of the doctor's offices or the pharmacy and an AED close to the border would be a very good start at providing the kind of coverage that would make Osoyoos a much safer location to be when a cardiac arrhythmia occurs.
Again, I commend Destination Osoyoos and St. John's Ambulance for organizing this excellent project and encourage Osoyoos residents to take the CPR and/or AED workshops that are organized for January to March, 2009.
I would also be very interested in organizing an increased number of AEDs to be located strategically throughout town to make this project a true success.
Robert Calder, MD,rnOsoyoos
OSOYOOS TIMES-February 25, 2009
