Irish Red Cross begins defibrillator campaign

The Irish Red Cross has announced a campaign to cut deaths caused by cardiac arrest by raising funds for defibrillators in workplaces and social venues across the country.

The public is being called upon to participate in the "Cross Out Day" campaign on June 12th by contributing the cost of a mid-morning snack or an hour's pay towards the purchase of a defibrillator for their workplace, sports club, or neighbourhood.

Cardiac arrest causes the deaths of 18 people every day in Ireland who are unable to get treatment in time.

The charity says that having trained users with access to defibrillators could potentially save over 3,000 victims of cardiac arrest in this country every year.

A defibrillator is a small, portable piece of equipment that can save lives in cases where a cardiac arrest has been caused by disruption to the cardiac heart rhythm and where the heart can be shocked into a normal rhythm.

The cost of a defibrillator pack is estimated at €3,000.