Defibrillator for Craignure
LIFE- SAVING equipment is now available at Craignure, on the isle of Mull, after CalMac invested in heartstart defibrillator equipment.
The port manager said the new machine and trained staff could potentially help seriously-ill passengers to make a good recovery.
Craignure is the latest CalMac location to have its first-aid capability boosted with a defibrillator.
The ferry operator has the potentially lifesaving equipment available at 15 ports, harbours and slipways across its network and on all vessels.
CalMac port manager Iain Erskine said: ‘ We have experienced people becoming seriously-ill in the port in the past. Now we have this equipment in place, at least we know we can do all we can to help them make a good recovery.’
Port staff have been trained in the use of the equipment but it is an open resource that can also be used by members of the public in an emergency.
Defibrillation is an emergency medical technique that uses an electrical shock to reset the natural beat of the heart. Studies have found that it can dramatically increase a patient’s chance of survival when suffering cardiac arrest.
The Mull and Iona Community Trust has been working hard to develop a network of public access defibrillators around the islands and linking them into the Scottish Ambulance Service.
The trust’s general manager Moray Finch said: ‘Both Caledonian MacBrayne and VisitScotland are valuable partners in our aim of building a network of public access defibrillators throughout Mull and Iona.
‘By providing the defibrillator in a weatherproof cabinet in an area of very high footfall, it is very possible that someone’s life might be saved one day and, on behalf of the wider community, I would like to thank Caledonian MacBrayne for its support.’
Port buildings on the islands are a popular choice to locate the equipment as they tend to be central and easily accessible within communities.
CalMac has trained hundreds of staff members in their use.