Campaign brings lifesaver to children’s centre
A LIFE-SAVING defibrillator has been installed at Newbold children’s centre.
Staff at the centre have also been trained what to do if someone suffers a cardiac arrest, in a bid to decrease the number of early deaths in the borough.
Ambulance service operators will be able to direct callers to the defibrillator at the centre on Moss Street, if someone suffers a cardiac arrest during opening hours.
The defibrillator can then be used before an ambulance or medical help arrives; tripling a victim’s chances of survival.
It has been installed as part of the life-saving ‘Roch Defibs’ project, run by the council’s public health team and North West Ambulance Service (NWAS).
The project, which launched in November 2015, has already installed 32 defibrillators and trained over 1,600 people in CPR.
Children centre manager Alison Smith said: “We are delighted to have this valuable resource in our centre for the community of Newbold.
“We hope we will never have to use it however it is reassuring to know that if required the equipment will increase the chance of saving lives.”
Coun Kieran Heakin said: “Currently, if a person suffers a cardiac arrest out of hospital their chance of surviving is only 8.6 per cent. We want to increase the chances of survival in our borough to 45 per cent, similar to the rates seen in Denmark, so it is vital that we give as many people as possible the skills and confidence they need to perform bystander CPR and defibrillation before medical help arrives. This can triple a person’s chances of surviving.
“I am very proud of the vital work the #RochDefibs project is doing to give our residents a fighting chance should they suffer a cardiac arrest. We’ve already saved one life so long may it continue.”