New World buys 37 defibrillators for South Island supermarkets

New World South Island has invested over $130,000 in purchasing 37 automated external defibrillators (AEDs) each of its supermarkets.

Kent Mahon, New World South Island Group Manager, said that the machines are an investment to support the South Island community.

““More than 1000 people go into cardiac arrest out of hospital in New Zealand every year, and only 8% survive currently. Using a defibrillator early can increase the chance of survival from 8% to up to 40% in sudden cardiac arrest cases,” he said.

As part of the purchase of the AEDs, several New World staff in each store have received training on how to operate the machines.

“ St John, who supplied the units, have told us that if someone goes into sudden cardiac arrest, immediately dialling 111 and performing CPR is essential, but it’s not always enough to ensure they survive. Patients also need to receive a safe electric shock from a defibrillator to ‘restart’ the heart. We now have such a unit beside Customer Services in all our New World supermarkets in the South Island,” he said.

Julian Price, St John Training Services Manager, said that New World has made a great decision to have this life-saving piece of equipment available in all their South Island stores.

“Cardiac arrest can strike anyone – any gender, all ages and occupations regardless of weight or fitness level.

“The good thing about the defibrillators is that they are easy to use but effective. When the defibrillator is switched on, the user simply follows the clear audio and visual prompts that guide them step-by-step through the few simple actions required. And they do save lives.”

St John Business Development Manager Seema Bhavan says New World has a major role in many South Island communities. “This is a great example of how seriously they take that role, and how seriously they take the welfare of their customers and staff.

“In fact, we encourage all businesses and organisations to seriously consider purchasing an AED for their premises. “

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