Red Cross launches first female resuscitation doll to improve outcomes for women
The Flemish Red Cross has introduced a resuscitation doll based on the female body to its first aid courses in Brussels, in the hope of improving health outcomes for women. The new device was launched on Saturday.
“There are indications in scientific literature that women are less likely to be resuscitated than men,” said Bert Van Driessche, manager of the Flemish Red Cross in Brussels. “If, with this training dummy, we can ensure that women are helped faster, we should do so.”
There are also indications that women are less likely than men to be resuscitated by bystanders in an emergency. This may be due to social norms, the fact that symptoms are less obvious or less well known in women, or because training has only been done on dolls with male anatomy. Van Driessche: “To remove any possible barriers, it makes sense to also use a female doll during training.”
The Red Cross organises free first aid training courses across Belgium, open to individuals and companies. The female models introduced in Brussels are the first in the country.
There is a big backlog in the medical treatment of women in general, Flemish minister for Brussels Benjamin Dalle said. “Partly because the symptoms of a number of ailments are less known in them,” he said. “But women are more than ‘little men’, and should also have the highest chance of successful resuscitation.”
#FlandersNewsService | The introduction of the first resuscitation training model with female anatomy by Red Cross Flanders in Brussels © BELGA PHOTO ANTONY GEVAERT
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