Sofia. He saved his mother with the Heimlich maneuver.
In Sardinia, school also teaches to save lives. In the school year 2024/25 beyond 10,000 students of the fourth and fifth year of superiors And 1,100 teachers more than 50 institutes participated in the first aid courses organized thanks to the project “At first aid school”. An imposing training course, made possible by 439 courses held by IRC certified instructors (Italian Resuscitation Council)which has allowed children and teachers to learn fundamental techniques such as heart massage, the use of the defibrillator, the unblocking of the airways and the management of bleeding. Everyone received the certificate BLSD (Basic Life Support and Defibrillation)which certifies the ability to intervene in the event of cardiac arrest.
The project was born from a multi -year understanding protocol between Inail Sardinia, Regional School Office, Areus (Regional Emergency Company and Urgency of Sardinia) and IRC.
An investment on the future
The initiative, underlines Alfredo NiciferoRegional Director of Inail Sardinia, “aspires to create a virtuous circle that from the culture of prevention develops a culture of solidarity”, preparing young people to face not only work with awareness, but also civil life. For Francesco Felizianigeneral manager of the regional school office for Sardinia, the massive adhesion of the institutes “demonstrates a deep -rooted awareness that first aid skills, spent in every life situation, are an integral part of the training of students and teachers”.
The value of defibrillators
Areus took the opportunity to raise awareness of the use of Dae. «In case of emergency – explains the extraordinary commissioner Angelo Maria Serusi – The timely intervention with the defibrillator can save life ». The company also started the campaign “Cardioprotection Ambassadors”, With prizes to the institutes that will contribute to the registration of more Dae in the area. According to Andrea Scapigliatipresident of IRC, “survival to cardiac arrest grows until it triples where formation is widespread”. The Sardinian project, he adds, best interprets Italian law 116/2021 which introduced the mandatory teaching of first aid in schools, and can become a model for Italy.
The story of Sofia
SortOfia, who followed the course in the first start phase of the project in 2022, is among the students who in Sardinia were able to learn the first aid maneuvers at school (including cardiac massage, the use of the external automatic defibrillator, Dae, Heimlich’s maneuver for the unblocking of the areas areas), thanks to this project. Sofia followed the course at the High School of the Human Sciences “Niccolò Tommaso” in Cagliari and the theoretical and practical lessons followed at school were very important: a November afternoon of which Sofia was home to study, her mother, just returned from work, risked suffocating due to a bite gone crossed. Recalled by the alarm cry of his sister, Sofia immediately intervened with the unblocking techniques and Heimlich’s maneuver, learned at school, who were successful. The mother immediately recovered and, once the great fear of the moment passed, joked with Sofia and her sister on the small piece of chocolate that had made her frightened. A very precious intervention that of Sofia also in the light of the fact that often at that time she was not at home at the time when she saved her mother. Today Sofia is a university student of education sciences at the University of Cagliari.
Next stages
A new phase is expected from 2025/26: some teachers will be trained like certified instructorsSo that schools can become autonomous in the transmission of life -saving skills. Meanwhile, the initiative has already received national recognition: the Third place at the Basile Prize for training in the Public Administrationwhich enhances the most innovative and effective experiences for citizens. The goal is Make sure that first aid training is permanently integrated into school programs, as required by law 116 of 2021.
In addition, Italian Resuscitation Council (IRC), a non -profit scientific society that brings together cardiopulmonary resuscitation experts in our country, promotes from 13 to 19 October “Viva! The Week of cardiopulmonary resuscitation”, with free events, playful activities and practical demonstrations throughout Italy to raise awareness of the population on the subject, with a particular attention aimed at middle and high school students.
