Journalism of Courage
Armed with the AED machine,30 employees of this hotel are trained to render first-aid to a guest if he goes into cardiac arrest
The six minutes that follow a cardiac arrest are the most crucial. Can an ambulance make it through the traffic-ridden roads in time? Will the patient survive? How can one help save his/her life? Thirty associates at Le Meridien (Starwood Hotels and Resorts) received answers to these questions on April 12 when they were trained to use the Automated External Defibrillator (AED) by Dr Kulkarni of The St John Ambulance Association (India).
One AED machine costs two lakh rupees. The hotel has three such machines,and by the end of June,all staff members will be trained how to use them. That means over 200 people here will be able to respond to an emergency, Jadhav adds. It gives us satisfaction that we are equipped to help the guest when need arises, says Arbind Singh,assistant F&B manager. We learnt how to check the pulse,the functioning of senses and how to give mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and CPR, he adds.
The AED machines are currently kept at the lobby,the health club and the Time Office. They are strategically placed so that no time is lost in attending to an emergency case, says Sanjay Singh,F&B manager,who also attended the training session. This concept is their way of setting an example. We have even submitted a list of names and numbers of employees who are trained in this first aid to the police, reveals Jadhav. So if I’m staying in Vishrantwadi and there is an emergency case,I can be called to render first aid till the ambulance arrives, he explains,adding,This is our way of saying that we care for our society.
