Inverness College UHI welcomes life-saving installation
Inverness College UHI has welcomed the addition of a life-saving defibrillator on campus after fundraising efforts to install the machine came to fruition.
The equipment, provided by charity Lucky2Bhere, marks the importance of publicly accessible automated external defibrillators (AEDs), as realised by Inverness College UHI Head of Research Development, Dr Melanie Smith, who suffered a cardiac arrest in 2013.
Melanie, whose life was saved by colleagues and emergency services, has since led a team of Inverness College UHI fundraisers to purchase the defibrillator, with past efforts including a sponsored abseil down the college’s former Longman building.
Melanie said: “I realised the importance of publicly accessible defibrillators first-hand in 2013, when I was lucky to survive a cardiac arrest.
“I’m very lucky to be here today due to the fast action of my colleagues and the emergency services, and my experience has made me very aware of the importance of publicly accessible defibrillators, which can greatly increase chances of survival.
“I’m extremely proud of all the efforts from all involved in helping us raise the vital funds necessary for installation of the life-saving equipment.”
Six Inverness College UHI staff along with a member of the college security team and a representative from Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) attended initial training led by Lucky2Bhere, with plans in place to offer the training biannually to all staff members, students and staff in other organisations on the Inverness Campus.
Peter White, who conducted the training on behalf of Lucky2Bhere, said: “AEDs are safe and effective when used by laypeople, including if they have had minimal training, making it possible to defibrillate many minutes before professional help arrives.”
Although currently no laws enforcing the provision of defibrillators in the workplace, NHS data revealed that just 18.5 per cent of those suffering cardiac arrest outside of hospital survive. The installation of the defibrillator at Inverness Campus provides life-saving equipment for both the college and the local community.
Dr Smith and the team from Inverness College UHI worked with HIE campus management to secure a publicly accessible location for the defibrillator, which will be installed near the lochans at Inverness Campus