A few weeks ago, New South Wales Health Minister, Brad Hazzard, announced that the state’s public access defibrillator program which will see more defibrillators placed in public areas.
(https://www.skynews.com.au/details/_6216753414001)
This decision is to be applauded as using a defibrillator, together with effective CPR, increases the survival rate of a victim of sudden cardiac arrest from less than 10% to over 60%…
Without a defibrillator, the chances for survival decrease 10% with every minute you wait. And, considering ambulance response times, help will often arrive too late.
Placing more defibrillators in community, business, work and home locations will dramatically reduce the impact of Australia’s number one killer of almost 100 people daily.
While these defibrillators are designed for use by untrained passers-by (with leading models providing audible coaching and feedback commands), Mr Hazzard is correct in saying that “CPR is the golden way of making sure, along with the defibrillator, that we have every chance of keeping our community members alive when they happen to have a cardiac arrest.”
NSW Ambulance Commissioner Dominic Morgan said people should know that defibrillators are “absolutely not” just for medically trained people to use. “They are there for anyone to use, they are totally safe, they will not defibrillate the patient unless the machine recognises it” he said.
Dr Morgan said it was sadly “uncommon” for paramedics to arrive at the scene of a cardiac arrest to find a defibrillator on site, and he would like to see more public and private sector locations invest in one.
“When combined with CPR, they are absolutely lifesaving equipment and can be purchased for as little as $1500-$2500.”
This NSW initiative to increase the number of publicly accessible defibrillators is a continuation of its successful Local Sport Defibrillator Grant Program of the Office of Sport which allocated $4 million over four years to assist sporting clubs across NSW in the purchase and maintenance of defibrillators.
It is vital that your business, community organisation, strata unit or home invests in these life-saving devices immediately.
Integrity Health & Safety, a Supply Nation certified Indigenous-owned supplier of WH&S products and services, is one of Australia’s leading suppliers of defibrillators and CPR training – ask us how.
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