Heart Fund arming Cayman businesses

Nine businesses in the Cayman Islands have joined the Cayman Heart Fund’s initiative to install automated external defibrillator machines. 

The machines help treat sudden cardiac arrest, one of Cayman’s worst life-threatening medical emergencies. 

With the quick response of a rescuer and accessibility of an AED unit, a victim of cardiac arrest’s survival rate can substantially increase compared to just CPR. The AED machine assists to restart a normal heart rhythm by administering a brief, controlled, electric shock in the minutes before heart arrhythmia causes death. The user friendly device provides clear, audible, textual, and visual instructions that walk the rescuer through the process even without previous training. According to the Cayman Heart Fund, most occurrences of sudden cardiac arrest will happen in a home or public place. In these environments, the chances of survival are reduced by 10 per cent every 10 minutes without immediate heart recovery. Businesses that have installed AEDs include Maples and Calder, Pure Healthcare, AON Risk Solutions, RBS Coutts, Smile Dental Clinic, Water Authority (Cayman), AL Thompson, Public Works Department (Cayman), and Cayman Red Cross. Interested parties may purchase AEDs from CHF for $1,800 per machine, which includes installation. CPR and AED training courses are offered by St. Matthew’s University and through the Red Cross.  

For more information on AED installation and training, contact the Cayman Heart Fund at 916-6324.