[The Propisition] ‘Every human needs to learn how to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in school’

PhD researchers talk about their most thought-provoking proposition. This time it’s the turn of Gijs Vreeke, who will get a PhD on 23 January for his analysis of proteins and peptides and how to monitor digestion of them better.

‘I worked as a lifeguard on the beach for 10 years, and I learned how to perform CPR. I never had to do it myself on the beach but it happens on a Dutch beach somewhere every year. Two years ago, I was mountain-biking with a friend near Rhenen when I saw an accident happen. A motorcyclist smashed into a tree at 120 kilometres per hour. A young guy in his mid-twenties. My friend and two friends of his stood there, frozen. Luckily, I knew what to do. Phone the emergency services and start resuscitating. It was so good to be able to do something at that moment. Not that you can blame anyone for if they can’t, of course, but it did make clear to me how horrible it is if you can’t. I hope that in future everyone will learn how to resuscitate, and school is the best place to do that. After practising a couple of times, you can manage. Sadly, that young man didn’t make it. When the police came, they took over from me, but it was already too late.’

Also read:

[The proposition] ‘Privatizing public transport is a prime example of political cognitive dissonance’

[The Proposition] ‘Change in attitude regarding the environment starts with the education of the youngest generations.’

Limelight