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FERMANAGH and Omagh has the highest number of defibrillators per capita of any council area in the North, writes Mark McGoldrick.
To mark Heart Month in February, a study by defibshop revealed there are 27 defibrillators per capita across the district, compared to a Northern Ireland average of 21.34.
Explaining the data, Kerry Fairhurst from defibshop congratulated the local council area for its proactive approach to increasing access to life-saving equipment.
“It’s reassuring to see the continued efforts of both larger towns and smaller villages in increasing defibrillator access for their residents,” she said.
“Expanding defibrillator coverage is one of the most effective ways to enhance heart safety in the areas where they are needed most, alongside proactive maintenance and training.
“We thank local authorities and communities across the UK for their unwavering commitment to improving accessibility and supporting our mission to improve out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survival rates.”
Earlier this month, the National Lottery Community Fund pledged significant support to a group in the Derrygonnelly area to upgrade its defibrillators.
The Sillees Defibrillator Support Group enhanced the cabinets housing the life-saving equipment after securing £14,000 in funding from the National Lottery.
There are currently seven defibrillators located at Boho Community Centre, The Methodist Hall in Springfield, The Reade Hall in Monea, Derrygonnelly Community Centre and The Band Room at Churchill.
Enniskillen man Fearghal McKinney, head of the British Heart Foundation in Northern Ireland, has also been vocal in calling for more defibrillators to be installed locally.
“There are around 1,400 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests every year in Northern Ireland,” Mr McKinney said.
“Tragically, less than one in ten people survive – a statistic the BHF is determined to improve by giving everyone the opportunity to learn CPR.
“Our free and innovative online training tool, RevivR, can teach CPR and the correct use of a defibrillator in just 15 minutes.”
