The
Cayman Heart Fund (CHF) recently received a generous donation from
St. Matthews University.

The
University offers CPR and BLS classes through-out the year and a
portion of the funds collected are donated to the CHF supporting
their work in the Cayman Islands.

Qualified
students receive a certificate authorized by the American Heart
Association. “We try to make our classes as interactive and
engaging as possible. We want our students to leave the classroom
having learned new skills as well as knowledge, not just a
certificate. We are always pleased to hear our students tell us that
it they find themselves in that situation, they won’t hesitate to
help” Clinical
Skills Lab Coordinator | BLS Coordinator | BLS Instructor, Lloyd
Griffin said.

St
Matthews University (SMU) is a school of Medicine providing quality,
affordable medical and veterinary education. Since 1997, more than
two thousand students have obtained their MD (Doctor of Medicine) and
MVD (Doctor of Veterinary Medical) degrees from SMU.

The
University’s Dean and Professor of Pathology, Dr. Amitabha Basu
said, “we are
proud
to be associated with the CHF in delivering essential lifesaving
skills to the people of the Cayman Islands.  We have been
providing BLS training to local medical, paramedical staff members,
students, and non-medical personnel since July 10, 2010.”

“There
is an urgent need to make CPR (Cardio-pulmonary Resuscitation)
training a must in schools and colleges and especially at the
community level so that family members of those people, who fall
under high risk zone for developing heart ailments, can give
immediate medical assistance in times of emergency. Knowing how to
give CPR properly can be a great asset and can save the life of a
person when his or her heart stops beating.”

Cayman
Heart Fund, Board Chairman, Mr. David Dinner, also mentioned his
appreciation to the University’s instructors for their ongoing
support and commended the instructors on their commitment to saving
lives in the Cayman Islands.

Clinical
Skills Lab Coordinator | BLS Coordinator | BLS Instructor, Lloyd
Griffin said “We enjoy the rewarding work we do in conjunction with
CHF to help educate the public about cardiovascular disease and
dealing with emergency situations. The scary thing about cardiac
arrest is that it can happen at any time and giving people the
ability to help someone while emergency care is on the way can make
all the difference.

Cayman
Heart Fund, Board Member, Barrie Quappe said, “I
love teaching CPR/First Aid at St. Mathew's University. They strive
for excellence in their program which is affiliated with the American
Heart Association. We train lay persons, medical professionals and
anyone who wants the peace of mind that they know what to do in an
emergency. One of my students remarked: "This is really easy!"
and it is but it can also be tiring and so the more people who can do
CPR, the more they can take turns and not tire too easily, maintain
good blood circulation to the brain at a crucial time."

For
more information about the CPR and BLS classes at SMU please contact
the Cayman Heart Fund.

The
Cayman Heart Fund (CHF) is a non-profit, non-government organization
dedicated to the reduction of heart and circulatory disease in the
Cayman Islands. Heart and circulatory disease, known as
cardiovascular disease (CVD), is the number one health problem in the
Cayman Islands. Cayman Heart Fund is dedicated to educating the
public, influencing policy and supporting access to high quality
healthcare through various programs and initiatives.

For
more information contact: 345-916-6324 or info@caymanheartfund.com.

Pictures
Attached:

Dr.
Sukumar Thorenoor Kumaraswamy: Assistant Professor, Dept. Of
Microbiology and Immunology | BLS Instructor, Lloyd Griffin: Clinical
Skills Lab Coordinator | BLS Coordinator | BLS Instructor, Dr. Pritam
Biswas: Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs, Cayman Heart Fund
Coordinator Angelique Bodden and Dr. Basu: Dean of Basic
Sciences