Lions Club initiative aims to provide vital health info – in a bottle

The Police sang about it back in the eighties – but now an East Galway community has adapted the ‘message in a bottle’ notion in the hope of saving lives.

Those who participate in the project will provide their medical details in a bottle so that in the event of an emergency, it gives those in attendance vital information.

It is the initiative of Ballinasloe Lions Club which says that it will provide the ambulance service with information when they visit homes on emergency calls.

The ‘message in a bottle’ kit is completely free of charge to those who wish to avail of it. It is a way of saving lives, according to the Lions Club.

It comprises of a small plastic bottle and cap, three adhesive stickers and a personal information form.

The user completes the form with their personal details, doctor and pharmacy name and contacts, current medical conditions and allergies, emergency contact names and numbers, and also indicates where the medication is located.

A small photo is attached for identification along with a copy of up-to-date prescriptions. Reference may also be made to any dependents or pets that are being cared for by the occupant and the arrangements for their care in the event of an emergency.

The competed form is placed in the bottle, sealed and placed in the fridge and an adhesive sticker is then placed inside the front and back doors and on the fridge door.

“In the event of the emergency services being called to the house, the first responders are alerted to the existence of the message in a bottle by the stickers.

“This provides them with valuable information pertaining to the occupant who may be unconscious and unresponsive. The time saved in accessing this vital information could be the difference between life and death,” said Lions Club President Brian Derrane.

Ballinasloe Credit Union and Maureen Cahalan’s Community Hearts Organisation have sponsored the production of 1,500 of the bottles.

Dr. John Barton, consultant in Portiuncula Hospital, officially launched the initiative and said that physicians were operating in a vacuum when emergencies were presented to them.

“Often we are left with no knowledge of the patients’ previous or current medical history or knowledge of the medications prescribed.

“The message in a bottle project is a wonderful concept and ensures that the personal and medical details of everyone requiring help are known to those providing the assistance.

“This scheme will greatly assist in the assessment of the patient. I congratulate the Lions Club on their excellent community work carried out and this is yet another community project that they can be proud of. I encourage people to avail of the scheme especially those who are infirm and living alone,” Dr. Barton added.