New machine to take pressure off flight paramedics

Demonstrating the Queenstown helicopter rescue service’s new automatic CPR machine on a mannequin...
Demonstrating the Queenstown helicopter rescue service’s new automatic CPR machine on a mannequin this week are (from left) Lakes District Air Rescue Trust chairman Jules Tapper and paramedics Dan Bentley and Dave Chittenden. PHOTO: JODIE BURTON
Queenstown's helicopter rescue service has some new kit that will keep hearts beating in the region.

The Lakes District Air Rescue Trust (LDART) has bought an automatic CPR machine for the service.

Chairman Jules Tapper said it would help paramedics keep patients alive while they are being flown to hospital.

On December 12 last year, the service dealt with three patients suffering heart attacks.

In one of those cases a paramedic had to give manual CPR for about 25 minutes before the helicopter reached Dunedin Hospital.

Mr Tapper said manual resuscitation was extremely tiring for paramedics, and the machine took ‘‘all the strain and pain away’’.

The Corpus-made machine, which cost $28,000, was part of a $115,000 set of equipment the trust had bought for Otago Regional Rescue Helicopter’s Queenstown base in the past two months, including a ventilator and a monitor-defibrillator.

‘‘It’s the very latest bit of equipment anywhere in the world.’’

It had cost about $600,000 a year to keep the service running since it became a 24/7 operation in November 2018.

The trust’s funding goes towards the base’s equipment and repairs, as well as training and retraining of its three pilots and four paramedics.

It would hold a free-entry open day at the Lake Hayes Showgrounds this Sunday that was intended to give residents the opportunity to see the rescue service’s black BK117 helicopter up close.

Vehicles from its associated services — a fire engine, ambulance, rescue vehicle and police car — would also be on hand.

Sunday’s open day runs from noon until 4pm. As of yesterday morning — the event was still going ahead.

guy.williams@odt.co.nz

 

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