THE Georgetown American University (GAU) has recently received accreditation to function as the designated American Heart Association (AHA) training center in Guyana.
Co-founder and Chief Executive Director of GAU, Dr. Melissa Varswyk, told the Guyana Chronicle that the institution is now equipped to provide the courses in line with the standards that are provided by AHA.
AHA, she said, is one of the oldest institutions in the United States that is working towards improving cardiovascular health, worldwide.
“They (AHA) have a series of programmes that they have put together, like the Basic Life Support (BLS) course, Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), and they have teamed up over the years with Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA). They work in collaboration to improving workplace health and so forth. And so they recommend that certain workers should be trained in basic life support so to help decrease the incidents of cardiovascular health issues at the workplace,” Varswyk explained.

The BLS and ACLS are two of the courses that GAU will be offering from next month. Persons can choose between being trained as a provider or as an instructor.
Upon completing the courses, persons will be issued the AHA provider cards, for those who have been trained as providers, or instructor cards for those who have been trained as instructors. The card certifies them for two years, Varswyk said.

“There are a lot of statistics out there that show having first responders at your workplace, how it has increase productivity, and in the United States, decrease liability for companies. Because you have a first responder there who can help to take care of anyone who may at the initial stage, been affected by any cardiovascular illness. I think that every household, every institution, every private company, should have somebody who is a provider, equipped to do first response, in case of a cardiovascular collapse of a patient,” noted
It is important to note, Varswyk added, “that this is just a primary response. You are basically aiding the patient before additional help gets there. Research shows that early response saves lives, because you’re providing them with oxygen and stimulating the heart, to help it to resuscitate as we await professional medical response.”

Additionally, Varswyk said that the university is also awaiting accreditation for the Emergency Trauma Response course.

“With the recent increase in number of motor vehicular accidents that we are having, with the emergency trauma response course, persons can be better equipped to remove trauma patients from vehicles to prevent further injuries,” she said.

Persons interested in taking the course, can email ahacourse@gau.edu.gy.