Councillors get equipped with life-saving skills | Sgiliau achub bywyd i gynghorwyr

Councillors get equipped with life-saving skills

A Carmarthenshire county councillor who is also a paramedic has kick-started a campaign to ensure all councillors have vital life-saving skills.

Cllr Rob Evans, member for the Dafen ward, has brought fellow councillors from all corners of the chamber together to learn what to do if they ever find someone in cardiac arrest.

Representatives from the Welsh Ambulance Service and St John’s Ambulance have joined Cllr Evans to raise awareness and train councillors in the use of public access defibrillators and resuscitation techniques.

He is also arranging for a defibrillator to be placed in the reception of Carmarthen’s County Hall, and wants more councillors and council staff to volunteer for first aid training.

“As councillors, we are back and forth throughout our communities every day,” he said. “If we are trained in the use of defibrillators and CPR we could be saving lives. We can also pass on vital life-saving skills to our constituents and work together to increase the number of public access defibrillators available.”

Defibrillators are small portable devices that can be used when someone’s heart stops – known as cardiac arrest – automatically checking the heart rhythm and sending an electric shock to try and restore it to normal.

Anyone can use a public access defibrillator in this situation as part of first aid treatment, but Cllr Evans said the training and awareness he is offering fellow councillors will instil more confidence to help in an emergency.

In Wales, there are approximately 8,000 sudden cardiac arrests outside hospital each year.

Figures from Welsh Hearts – the heart charity for Wales – suggest that the survival rate after a sudden cardiac arrest outside of hospital is just three per cent, rising to 47 per cent when a defibrillator is used.

Cllr Jane Tremlett, executive board member for health and social care, said: “I’d like to commend Cllr Evans for all his efforts in supporting members to have this training and raising awareness about community defibrillators.

“This vital knowledge and access to equipment could be someone’s best chance of survival in an emergency and I’m pleased that Cllr Evans has had this support from his colleagues.”

·         Find out where public access defibrillators are located in your community at NHS Direct Wales: http://www.nhsdirect.wales.nhs.uk/LocalServices/?s=DefibrillatorLocations ·        
Get first aid tips and find courses near you at St John’s Ambulance: https://www.sja.org.uk/sja/default.aspx

Sgiliau achub bywyd i gynghorwyr

 

Mae un o gynghorwyr Cyngor Sir Caerfyrddin sydd hefyd yn barafeddyg wedi dechrau ymgyrch i sicrhau bod gan yr holl gynghorwyr sgiliau achub bywyd hanfodol.

Daeth y Cynghorydd Rob Evans, aelod dros ward Dafen, â’i gyd-gynghorwyr at ei gilydd o bob cwr o’r Siambr i ddysgu’r hyn ddylent ei wneud os byddant yn darganfod rhywun yn cael trawiad ar y galon.

Mae cynrychiolwyr o Wasanaeth Ambiwlans Cymru ac Ambiwlans Sant Ioan wedi ymuno â’r Cynghorydd Evans i godi ymwybyddiaeth a hyfforddi cynghorwyr i ddefnyddio diffibrilwyr cyhoeddus a thechnegau adfywiad.

Mae ef hefyd yn trefnu i ddiffibriliwr gael ei osod yn y dderbynfa yn Neuadd y Sir, Caerfyrddin, ac mae’n dymuno i ragor o gynghorwyr a staff y Cyngor wirfoddoli ar gyfer hyfforddiant cymorth cyntaf.

“Fel cynghorwyr, rydym yn teithio yn ôl ac ymlaen i’n cymunedau bob dydd,” meddai. “Os byddwn wedi cael hyfforddiant i ddefnyddio diffibrilwyr a chyflawni adfywiad cardio-pwlmonaidd (CPR) gallem achub bywydau. Gallwn hefyd drosglwyddo sgiliau achub bywyd hanfodol i’n hetholwyr a gweithio gyda’n gilydd i gynyddu nifer y diffibrilwyr cyhoeddus sydd ar gael.”

Mae diffibrilwyr yn ddyfeisiau cludadwy y gellir eu defnyddio pan fydd calon rhywun yn stopio, hynny yw pan fydd rhywun yn cael trawiad ar y galon, ac mae’n gwirio rhythm y galon yn awtomatig ac yn anfon sioc drydan i geisio adfer curiad normal y galon.

Gall unrhyw un ddefnyddio diffibriliwr cyhoeddus yn y sefyllfa hon fel rhan o driniaeth cymorth cyntaf, ond dywedodd y Cynghorydd Evans fod yr hyfforddiant a’r ymwybyddiaeth a oedd yn ei gynnig i’w gyd-gynghorwyr yn rhoi mwy o hyder iddynt helpu mewn argyfwng.

Bob blwyddyn yng Nghymru, mae tua 8,000 o drawiadau sydyn ar y galon y tu allan i’r ysbyty.

Mae ffigurau Calonnau Cymru, sef elusen y galon yng Nghymru – yn awgrymu mai dim ond 3% yw’r gyfradd goroesi ar ôl cael trawiad sydyn ar y galon y tu allan i’r ysbyty, gan godi i 47 y cant pan gaiff diffibriliwr ei ddefnyddio.

Dywedodd y Cynghorydd Jane Tremlett, yr Aelod o’r Bwrdd Gweithredol dros Iechyd a Gofal Cymdeithasol: “Hoffwn ganmol y Cynghorydd Evans am ei ymdrechion yn cynorthwyo Aelodau i gael yr hyfforddiant hwn a chodi ymwybyddiaeth am ddiffibrilwyr cymunedol.

“Mae’n bosibl mai’r wybodaeth hanfodol a’r mynediad hwn i offer fydd cyfle gorau rhywun i oroesi mewn argyfwng ac rwy’n falch fod y Cynghorydd Evans wedi cael y gefnogaeth hon gan ei gydweithwyr.”

·         Gallwch ddarganfod lle mae diffibrilwyr cyhoeddus yn eich cymuned drwy wefan Galw Iechyd Cymru: http://www.nhsdirect.wales.nhs.uk/LocalServices/default.aspx?s=DefibrillatorLocations&locale=cy

·         Gallwch gael cyngor cymorth cyntaf a dod o hyd i gyrsiau sydd gerllaw gan Ambiwlans Sant Ioan: https://www.sja.org.uk/sja/default.aspx