By Raymond Kearney
“Defibrillator” is very much the buzz word around Orihuela Costa just now. Most people I talk to believe that they should be provided by the local government. Each one costs 1,000€ to 3,000€ depending on size and quality. I would personally like to see one in every commercial centre, large store, police car, bus, supermarket, beach, cinema, hall, school, gym, office, bar, restaurant and even public parks.
In addition to buying defibrillators, people need to be trained how to use them. You might think that one paddle or pad goes on each breast; that would be incorrect, one should be placed below and to the side of the left breast and the other placed above and to the side of the right breast. We might try to use this wonderful machine on someone with a very weak pulse, again this would be wrong.
I sincerely hope someday that defibrillators will be commonplace in Orihuela Costa. At this stage the town hall might put on free training courses to show us all how to use them.
So how can we get 100 defibrillators in Orihuela Costa? WE will need to buy them. WE cannot expect politicians and small businesses to provide them. WE need to run charity events, WE need to ask big companies for donations, WE need to write to supermarket chiefs for help. When the politicians see that WE are determined to save lives and that there is a popular movement to achieve defibrillators, they will join in, they will want to show that they are with the public.
Stop saying ”they need to do this.” Instead get a group together and start collecting money to buy these important pieces of lifesaving equipment, others will follow suit. How many lives will you save in the next year?
