Djurgården and the Red Cross collaborate on first aid

Djurgården and the Red Cross collaborate on first aid

First aid knowledge saves lives. Together with the Red Cross, Djurgården Fotboll will now train its employees.

The first few minutes of an accident or acute illness are often crucial to the outcome. While waiting for an ambulance or other professional care, there are many important actions that can be taken, actions that can be life-changing.

Under the guidance and training of the Red Cross, the world leader in first aid, Djurgården Football will now train all staff, including players and managers of the men’s and women’s teams, in first aid and CPR. Leaders in DIF Youth will also be trained.

Most cardiac arrests do not occur in front of an audience of millions. It is important that we get involved in this issue. Lives can be at stake. Many of us watched live or read afterwards what happened in the European Championship with Denmark’s Christian Eriksen. Even though we have many procedures in place, we must be prepared if an accident occurs. Having the Red Cross’ expertise with us in the future feels safe and an excellent prerequisite for the work.

Henrik Berggren, CEO of Djurgården Football

Djurgården Fotboll has already been working with mobile defibrillators. The men’s team’s physical therapist and medical officer, Karl Barrling, talks about the procedures.

We always have medically trained staff on site with the squad. We are always ready with defibrillators if needed. We will always be ready. We do annual ultrasound of the heart and ECG to get a screening out of the status of the heart. DIF Youth also works with screening of the heart.

Karl Barrling, medical director of Djurgården Football

Detecting deviations

Both Djurgården’s men’s and women’s teams have a cardiologist attached to the team.

By having this preventive work, we can detect abnormalities, like in the case of Melker Jonsson where we did a preventive intervention, at an early stage.

Karl Barrling, medical director of Djurgården Football

With knowledge of first aid, you dare to be proactive and act when the accident occurs. This can include checking vital signs, performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation, stopping a bleed, preventing life-threatening circulatory failure and even sounding the alarm.

Everyone should be trained in first aid. When a disaster or accident occurs, first aid and CPR can be the difference between life and death. Therefore, it is extremely important for us to educate as many people as possible to spread the knowledge.

Martin Ärnlöv, Secretary General of the Red Cross

In the Red Cross app “Dare to save lives”, which is also available as an online course, you can learn first aid by acting and helping people in different situations. Just doing something increases a fellow human’s chances of survival!