Woolworths with a heart

MEANDER VALLEY residents now have access to a defibrillator in Woolworths Deloraine to assist in the event of sudden cardiac arrest.

The Automated External Defibrillator (AED) was installed in Woolworths Deloraine on 21 June is part of a priority roll out program at Woolworths that ensures rural and regional communities, or areas where it may be hard to access a medical site get first access to the roll out.

The AED is designed to be used by anyone, with clear Woolworths with a heart step-by-step voice instructions that can guide members of the public through the process.

Woolworths Deloraine Store Manager, Steve Coppleman said, ‘You never know when a sudden cardiac arrest might strike and in the unfortunate event that it does, having the local community able to access this treatment, could help to save lives.

‘The best medical advice tells us that access to an AED early on can greatly increase the chance of survival.’

An estimated 20 000 Australians suffer a cardiac arrest outside a hospital every year. The survival rate if you have a cardiac arrest outside of hospital is approximately 10%.