Insufficient bravery and absence of know-how sparks SPD initiative for a weekly revival training program in Munich schools
In an effort to address the low rate of lay resuscitation in Germany, particularly in Munich, the Social Democratic Party (SPD) has proposed an action week focused on providing comprehensive and mandatory training to grade 7 students in Munich schools.
The action week, planned to be held every two years, aims to equip students with the necessary skills to perform resuscitation in an emergency. The SPD believes that many people lack knowledge and confidence in the topic of resuscitation, and they hope that this initiative will help alleviate these concerns.
According to Barbara Likus, deputy SPD health spokeswoman, some people are afraid of doing something wrong during resuscitation, but doing nothing is worse. She wants to give as many people as possible the opportunity to practice.
The SPD's action week on lay resuscitation is not a new concept. Countries like Denmark and the Netherlands have already achieved rates of over 70 percent in lay resuscitation, while Germany's rate is around 51 percent.
Dr. Christian König, the SPD faction leader in Munich, emphasises the importance of the action week, stating that Munich is well-equipped in medical care during emergency situations, but more people are needed to help before the rescue service arrives. He explains that the basics of resuscitation can be learned in a few minutes but should be refreshed at regular intervals.
The SPD criticises that there are already offers in schools in cooperation with the Björn Steiger Foundation, but they are neither comprehensive nor mandatory. The action week is intended to give more attention to the topic of resuscitation in schools.
While there is evidence that short-term intensive interventions like action weeks can improve laypersons' theoretical knowledge and confidence in performing resuscitation, precise effectiveness, retention rates, and confidence gains depend on the training design, population, and local context.
Despite the lack of direct data from these search results documenting the effectiveness of action weeks specifically in Munich schools for lay resuscitation knowledge or confidence, the SPD remains optimistic about the potential impact of their proposed action week. They believe that by providing comprehensive and mandatory training, they can empower students to take action in emergency situations and save lives.
- The SPD's action week focuses not only on resuscitation skills but also extends to subjects like health-and-wellness, fitness-and-exercise, and mental-health, aiming to holistically equip students with essential life skills.
- In the realm of education-and-self-development, the SPD's initiative underscores the importance of continuous learning, proposing that students should refresh their knowledge of basic resuscitation skills at regular intervals.
- To align with successful models in countries like Denmark and the Netherlands, the SPD strives to incorporate learning resources from various disciplines into their action week, such as science, health-and-wellness, and education-and-self-development, to foster a well-rounded understanding and confidence in resuscitation among students.
