Mt Lavinia Hotel and Med1 set industry standards for hotels

Saturday, 18 June 2011 00:34 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The internationally renowned, Mount Lavinia Hotel (MLH), is the first hotel in Sri Lanka to initiate emergency medical training of international standards for its staff, consisting of more than seven hundred people.

“We place a premium on the health and safety of every guest that walks through the doors of the Mount Lavinia Hotel,” stated MLH General Manager Anura Dewapura. “In accordance with international accreditations and standards, every one of the more than seven hundred staff of the Mt. Lavinia hotel will be trained and certified in CPR and First Aid in the coming months. We are delighted to take advantage of world-class emergency medical services now available through Med1 to ensure the health and safety of our guests and our staff. We will commence training on 6 June with Med1’s professional instructors accredited by the American Health and Safety Institute.”

Med1, a healthcare development company commenced operations this year to provide professional and comprehensive emergency healthcare services to Sri Lanka. Having already launched Sri Lanka’s first internationally accredited emergency medical training institute, Med1 has now chosen Mount Lavinia Hotel as their lead partner in the hospitality industry to establish best practices for hotels and tourism.

Managing Director and CEO of Med1, Donnie Woodyard Jr, “Properly trained first responders often are the difference between life and death in a medical emergency. It is essential to develop the confidence, knowledge and skills required to respond immediately in the case of a medical emergency. We are very pleased that Mt. Lavinia is the first hotel in Sri Lanka to institute international standards for health and safety in a medical emergency. Internationally accredited First Aid and CPR courses require 16 hours of training with an emphasis on hands-on skill practice. With a rise in tourism expected in Sri Lanka, Mount Lavinia Hotel is the first hotel to objectively commit to meeting the expectations of international clients in the area of health and safety in a medical emergency.“

Woodyard also added, “Our initiative with Mount Lavinia Hotel is part of our Board of Investment approved rollout of Emergency Medical Services in Sri Lanka. As of present, Med1 has established a 10,000 square foot headquarters equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, medical simulation and training labs, and space for our rapid expansion as we implement a comprehensive emergency medical service system.”

According to Woodyard, international quality ambulance services and a twenty-four hour, three-language communication centre with satellite aided dispatching services for emergencies are also in the pipeline. Woodyard further commented that Med1 is very pleased that the Mount Lavinia Hotel made the commitment of time and resources to take the lead in the hospitality industry. “The benefits MLH will gain are truly crosscutting, hotel personnel will be able to rapidly identify and appropriately respond an emergency at the hotel, which will both save lives and reflect positively on the hotel. Furthermore, team members who have gained the training will also contribute immensely to their communities and families whilst off duty.”