Marae gifted life-saving devices
Three Far North marae have been gifted life-saving defibrillators by St John in a bid to improve health outcomes for Ma¯ ori.
The automated external defibrillators [AEDs] were installed at Waiora marae in Ngataki, Waitaruke marae near Whangaroa Harbour and Whitiora marae in Te Tii as part of a project to reduce the number of cardiac arrest fatalities among Ma¯ ori.
The initiative follows the release of the St John Out-ofHospital Cardiac Arrest Report, which highlights trends associated with cardiac arrests that occur outside hospitals, and reveals that Ma¯ori are 20 times more likely to suffer a cardiac arrest than other ethnic groups.
St John Northern spokesperson Peter Hoskin, who installed the devices and provided training, says the visits are an excellent opportunity to establish relationships with marae at a local level.
‘‘We want to form ongoing relationships with Northland iwi to create positive health outcomes for the wider Maori community,’’ he says. ‘‘St John can contribute towards those outcomes, working side-by-side with the other amazing primary health services that operate daily in Northland communities.’’
‘‘For every minute without CPR or defibrillation, a patient's chance of survival falls by 10-15 per cent.’’
Dr Tony Smith
An AED works by delivering a short, powerful electric shock to the heart, helping the heart to regain its natural rhythm. The three devices installed in marae around Northland follow almost 50 St John have donated to New Zealand communities since 2015.
St John medical director Dr Tony Smith says in New Zealand, around 1800 people every year are treated for a cardiac arrest that occurs in the community.
‘‘Survival is largely due to the quick actions of bystanders who initiate CPR and use an AED within the first few minutes,’’ he says.
‘‘The more people who know how to do CPR and have access to an AED in the community, the greater the chances of patient survival.
‘‘For every minute without CPR or defibrillation, a patient’s chance of survival falls by 10-15 per cent.’’
❚ The locations of AEDs around the country are registered at www.aedlocations.co.nz