The University of Oviedo has completed its Cardioprotected Space with the installation of 27 new defibrillators in the different campuses and administrative units. It is the second phase of a plan which aims to reduce the university community's labour and cardiovascular risks with the implanting of 45 defibrillators.

The Asturian academic institution was the first Spanish university to introduce this measure to become a Cardoprotected Space within the Plan for the reduction of labour and cardiovascular risks applied in the institution. Throughout these months, the University of Oviedo has promoted the training of teaching and administration and services staff in first aid for the use of defibrillators.

On the other hand, this morning the equipments have been presented to the community university with a brief demonstration of how they work. The ceremony was held at the Historic Building's Auditorium in the presence of the Rector, Vicente Gotor, the Rector's Delegate for Sports and Health, Miguel del Valle, and the responsible for the Unit of Philips Ibérica's Defibrillators, David Pérez.

Vicente Gotor reminded in his speech that the University of Oviedo has been "pioneer" in healthy pratices among the Spanish universities. The Rector stressed that the Cardioprotected Space initiative is framed within the Plan for reducing Labour Risks at the University of Oviedo, which has also promoted the training of university personnel in first aid and in the use of defibrillators.

Similar presentations are planned to take place at the Campuses of Gijón and Mieres tomorrow, Thursday, 14 June. From 13.30 pm, it will take place in the Graduation Hall of the Northern Teaching Block of the Polytechnic Schools of Engineering of Gijón and at 13 pm it will be held in the Graduation Hall at the Campus of Mieres.

The semiautomatic defibrillators are an essential tool, together with Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, to deal with sudden heart failures, saving a person's life if someone acts quickly.

When someone suffers from a heart failure in a public space, the semiautomatic defibrillators make it possible that any person can help the victim with a quick and effective electric shock there where it happens.

"Time is the main enemy when saving a person suffering from a heart failure. The maximum time to make use of the defibrillator is around 10 minutes. If we have a defibrillator nearby which allows us to help the victim after suffering from a Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation in that period of time, then we will save his life and avoid serious after-effects or irreparable damages", states Davis Pérez, responsable for the Unit of Philips Ibérica's Defibrillators.