The Groningen Heart Safe Foundation (SGH) would like to have more citizen care providers in the province. That’s why she’s starting a recruitment campaign on Monday.
According to spokeswoman Carmelita Gonesh, this campaign means that training will be given next month to people who want to become care providers. “From Monday they can register for those free courses, individually or with a group.” The site groningenhartveilig.nl/word-een-held is the place where they can do that.
Defibrillator
The SGH has been offering resuscitation courses to volunteers throughout Groningen for years. They learn, among other things, how to use a general external defibrillator (AED). This is used when someone has had a cardiac arrest. After successfully completing the course, the volunteers become citizen first responders and receive a notification if someone in their area needs help in cardiac arrest.
The foundation has seen the number of volunteers decrease recently, probably also as a result of the corona crisis. According to Gonesh, there are fewer than 10,000 care providers in Groningen in total (including from other organizations). “We want to help raise that number again, above 10,000, hence the campaign.”
Worldwide
It is not without reason that it starts on Monday, October 16. That day is World Restart a Heart Day worldwide. Attention is drawn to the importance of resuscitation by bystanders if someone suffers a cardiac arrest.