Defibrillator a gift to the heart of Whangarei

Giving back to the community after the Rugby World Cup, Philips Healthcare have donated a defibrillator to Whangarei.

​The Rugby World Cup is over – but the benefits of the Cup are still continuing in local communities around New Zealand.

Philips Healthcare donated twenty Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) to each of the Rugby World Cup teams. These AEDs have now been returned to St John to give back to local communities in New Zealand.

“AEDs are lifesaving pieces of equipment - they give a short electric shock to the heart allowing the heart to regain its natural rhythm after a person suffers a cardiac arrest (or more commonly known as) a heart attack,” says St John Clinical Director Dr Tony Smith.

“We are donating them to the communities that hosted teams. In Whangarei’s case the District hosted the Tongan, Canadian and Japanese teams.”

Whangarei Mayor Morris Cutforth says the AED is great gift for Whangarei.

“We painted the town red in honour of Japan, Tonga and Canada’s flags, but red is a colour strongly associated with the heart and circulatory system too, so that’s a nice connection. The tournament was a great success for our District and the entire country, so a gift like this after the event is just a lovely bonus.

“Holding the defibrillator at the heart of our city, the Town Basin, is also a sensible option because of the amount of foot traffic passing through there every day,” says Mr Cutforth.

Dr Smith says having an AED available can increase the chance of a person’s survival by up to 40%.

“Philips Healthcare donated the FRx AED defibrillators to St John and we worked with the local councils to determine the best places for the AEDs to be situated. The Basin is an area with a lot of foot traffic and keeping the AED at Te Manawa – The Hub means it is in a central location near trained people who can operate it.

“The AED will become a true community asset. Whangarei District Council staff will be trained in its use and they will make sure the AED is maintained for the community.

“We encourage members of the community to learn CPR and learn to use an AED. It’s easy and you could save someone’s life. Heroes aren’t born – they are trained.”