The Skeff Late Bar & Kitchen on Galway’s Eyre Square has launched the city’s very first 24/7 defibrillator service.
As well as purchasing a new defibrillator for the premises, staff members have also been trained on how to use it.
Currently around 15 people go into cardiac arrest in Ireland every day according to Health & Safety Trainer Ian Keogh.
General Manager, Brian O’Toole says that Brian O'Toole, Manager of The Skeff Late Bar & Kitchen, Galwaygetting a defibrillator in-house made perfect sense. “We operate on a 24/7 basis and have thousands of people through our doors every week.
“Our staff were very eager to get on board with this and we have trained seven team members who work in The Skeff Late Bar, The Skeffington Arms Hotel and in Karma nightclub.
“They now have the skills necessary to operate an Automated External Defibrillator (AED ), or a computerised defibrillator, which analyses the heart rhythm of a person in cardiac arrest and uses voice prompts to advise you if a shock is needed.
“The AED is an important link in the chain of survival and the course taught us how to use them effectively. We hope we can save lives while doing our job.”
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Ian Keogh, Trainer with Safety Ireland says:
"The problem we have with a lot of people is having arrests, collapsing in public buildings or public places or offices or in this case nightclubs. The staff will be able to recognize cardiac arrests, do an assessment; they will be able to call for help and do CPR. They now understand what causes people to go into cardiac arrest in the first place. Heart disease is the biggest killer. Having it [the defibrillator] there gives them a chance to survive.”
