A couple of years ago, Pam Lydon, the Group co-ordinator for the BLC Freewheelers group, wrote an article for the Newsletter not long after her husband died concerning important information we should all be aware of if there’s ever a need to call the emergency services in Luxembourg. As this could be a life-or-death matter, we felt it should be highlighted again.
Over two years ago, my husband collapsed outside our vet’s office on the route d’Arlon in Mamer. At that time he was still conscious and was able to tell the passers by who stopped to help that he thought it was his heart.
These concerned people, as most of us would do, called 112 for an ambulance and in due course the ambulance of the “Protection Civile” arrived. These ambulances are staffed with volunteers who (without denying that they do a very good public service) will only get you to hospital. They are NOT qualified medical staff and cannot give medical treatment. If a heart attack (or indeed any serious injury) is suspected you must specify that the “SAMU” (emergency doctor service) is needed. By the time someone finally did call out the “SAMU“, valuable time had been lost. My husband suffered brain damage through lack of oxygen and, after being in a coma, died several weeks later .
According to statistics, more and more people are dying every day from sudden cardiac arrest or heart attack.
Apart from calling 112 and making sure to ask for the “SAMU“, what else could you do even before the emergency services arrive? The ambulance which was called for my husband, for example, took some time to get there after having to battle heavy traffic on the route d’Arlon.
Some doctors believe that an immediate hands only CPR method can double a person’s chance of surviving cardiac arrest or avoiding brain damage through lack of oxygen when the heart begins to fibrillate. Perhaps if more people knew how to do continuous chest compression or CPR and the CPR was begun rapidly, the possibility of saving the person’s life could be vastly improved.
Click on this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILxjxfB4zNk and you will see from the video with Vinnie Jones, which was sponsored by the British Heart Foundation, that hands only CPR is not difficult to do. It does not require you to perform a mouth to mouth contact and the rhythm, using the Bee Gees music of ‘Staying Alive’ is easy to remember.
I certainly don’t profess to having much medical knowledge but it seems that this procedure could be well worth knowing. Please take a minute to look at this video and to pass it on to as many people as you can. It may save somebody’s life, perhaps even one of your own family members. It might have saved my husband’s life.
In addition, regarding the emergency services, not so long ago my son witnessed a child falling badly from his bike in the park and breaking both wrists. The child’s mother immediately called 112 but when the “Protection Civile” arrived, they were apparently not even allowed to give the child, who by this time was screaming with pain, a painkilling injection. So one more occasion that draws attention to the fact that the “SAMU” should be specified when calling 112 to get help after any potentially serious accident . I do hope with all my heart that none of you will ever need to call on these services but at least you will be aware of the best procedure to follow.
Pam Lydon