This article is from page 27 of the 2008-02-05 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 27 JPG
KILMIHIL is the latest west Clare community developing a life saving programme for its citizens. Following on from the success of the Kilrush meeting the community met to organise the Kilmihil Public access Defibrillator Programme. The brain child of Kilrush RNLI man Ian Lynch five years ago Kil- rush will soon have a number of defi- brillators, as will Kilmihil, to be fol- lowed by Cooraclare and Cree. Supported by local GP Dr Michael Harty, who outlined the medical benefits of early CPR and trained de- fibrillator personnel in the locality, it is hoped local people will be trained
in using defibrillators as early as Xoeartaas ce
A mass CPR training course will also be organized for west Clare. As many people as possible can attend the two-hour course, which is pro- vided, free of charge by the HSE.
From the course it 1s hoped that more will come forward and volun- teer for the three to five hour defibril- lator-training course.
LM Keating Ltd has already agreed to sponsor one defibrillator for Kilm- ihil, while the community hope to provide a second.
In Kilrush it is hoped to have five defibrillators by this time next year. To date ESB Moneypoint and the Kilrush Credit Union have agreed to
sponsor one each.
The importance of a defibrillator in remote communities and at sporting venues was highlighted last month when a young Cork schoolboy was revived by the machine after he col- lapsed following a_ cross-country eeTOon
In county Clare, a grieving mother has raised €37,000 to purchase de- fibrillators and facilitate cardiac resuscitation training for sporting clubs, following the death of her 16-year-old son from Sudden Adult Death Syndrome.
Brid Manning began the campaign after her son Robert died while play- ing rugby in the front garden of his Cratloe home.
Defibrillators work by _ sending shock waves to kick-start the heart. According to health experts, quick access to the machines greatly im- proves the survival rate of the pa- OL
Registration forms for anyone from Kilmihil who may be interested in becoming involved with the local programme are available at local outlets.
The forms should be completed and returned as soon as possible to allow training sessions to be organised.
A committee to organise a rota, funding and training will be formed from the information received on the registration forms. For information ring 0872862304 or 0863633998.