Member for Robertson Gordon Reid, himself a doctor, has praised a new program aimed at empowering members of the community to respond quickly when someone nearby goes into cardiac arrest.
Reid said more than 9,000 people experienced an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in NSW every year.
Cardiac arrest is often unexpected, and for every minute a patient doesn’t get chest compressions – also called Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) – their chances of survival fall by 7-10 per cent, he said.
NSW Ambulance has partnered with GoodSAM to provide the new app program.
Members of the community can register as a volunteer, download an app, and help save lives when someone nearby goes into cardiac arrest during the period before Ambulance NSW paramedics arrive.
“The GoodSAM App is integrated with the NSW Ambulance Triple Zero (000) dispatch system and connects volunteers to patients in the critical first minutes of a cardiac arrest until paramedics arrive,” Reid said.
“If you are willing and able to perform CPR, and are aged 18 or older, you can sign up to receive alerts when someone needs help.
“GoodSAM will also show you any publicly accessible defibrillators that have been registered with GoodSAM, and you can use these if you feel able.
“By registering as a GoodSAM volunteer, you can help save a life, while paramedics arrive.”
The GoodSAM App is available to download from Apple and the Google Play Store.
You will need to register as a volunteer before downloading the GoodSAM app.
For more information, visit: https://www.ambulance.nsw.gov.au/goodsam