Med tech company shows heart with new defibrillators
One Cork-based medical tech company has delivered life-saving defibrillators to the local community in Carrigtwohill and Glounthaune.
They are to be located at the newly opened section of the local cycleway, which was also constructed with the support of Stryker.
The cycleway will see numbers accessing the amenity increase as the cyclelink expands across Cork county over the coming months. With the support of Cork County Council, Stryker will initially install three defibrillators with more to be installed as the cycleway expands.
AEDs (automated external defibrillators) dramatically increase the chance of a person surviving in the event of suffering from a sudden cardiac arrest by delivering a shock to the heart which can help it to resume its normal rhythm.
Stryker-designed and manufactured AEDs have been delivered to other communities across the country as part of the comcany’s community outreach to make this life-saving equipment more accessible. Stryker, who specialises in the development and manufacture of life-saving technology, will be delivering this specialised equipment and housing them in vintage phone boxes along the cycleway.
The phone box provides an ideal housing for the AEDs, protecting them from the elements, but has the added benefit of being a highly visible landmark in the event of an emergency.
The vintage phone box pays homage to an important piece of Irish culture and a long-standing feature of town and village communities.
The provision of the AEDs, phone boxes, installation and maintenance, amounts to a significant investment by Stryker to the local community. Community training will also be provided for the safe use of AEDs.
Mayor of Cork Cllr Gillian Coughlan welcomed the delivery of the AEDs: “I am immensely proud to see how collaboration between Cork County Council and Stryker led to a new section of cycleway in Carrigtwohill last year.
“This collaboration is now set to bring further positive benefits with the addition of defibrillators which will be complemented with local training.
“This initiative shows the importance of public and private cooperation in identifying valuable community developments and, in this case, could literally be a life saver.”
Speaking on behalf of Stryker, Mag O’Keeffe, Vice President of Operations, said: “Working with Cork County Council made it possible for us to deliver our vision of providing lifesaving technology to our local community. Our commitment to delivering innovative healthcare is broader than our business approach; this outreach shows that it is at the core of how we work, and how we live. We are proud of what has been achieved today.”