When someone is in cardiac arrest, the intervention by bystanders or those around them can make a lifesaving difference.
That's why a new partnership between the Tasmanian Government and GoodSAM (Smartphone Activated Medic) will support our valuable first responders in the community to save lives across the State.
When a cardiac arrest emergency call is made to Triple Zero (000), the GoodSAM app alerts nearby responders, providing the location of the patient as well as the closest publicly-accessible defibrillator.
GoodSAM maintains a register of people (responders) prepared to receive a mobile phone alert if a cardiac arrest occurs near them.
The more registered responders and publicly accessible defibrillators across Tasmania, the greater the chances of life saving care being on hand when a cardiac arrest occurs.
Minister for Health, Mental Health and Wellbeing, Guy Barnett, welcomed the partnership, acknowledging that using CPR or a defibrillator in those first few minutes before an ambulance arrives can save a life.
"Every minute without CPR or defibrillation decreases a person's chance of survival by 10%," Minister Barnett said.
"This new partnership allows people and organisations to register their defibrillators with the GoodSAM app, providing community first responders with access to the tools to save lives.
"While Tasmania invests more than any state in ambulance services per head of population, CPR and defibrillation in those crucial first minutes before the ambulance arrives can be the difference between life and death.
"Through our Community Automated External Defibrillator Fund, the Tasmanian Government has been providing more lifesaving defibrillators with around 360 free AED's distributed across Tasmania over the past ten years.
"As part of our 2030 Strong Plan for Tasmania's Future, we will deliver another 180 defibrillators to help save lives, right around the state."
The project is part of the Tasmanian Government's $476 million 10-year Digital Health Transformation, and the 'Long-Term Plan for Healthcare in Tasmania 2040' which outlines the Government's work on delivering a more connected and accessible health system to meet the needs of all Tasmanians, no matter where they live.
