Duhaney Park Health Centre gets first defibrillator

It’s a universal fact in Jamaica that cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of sudden death.

According to the Ministry of Health and Wellness, deaths from cardiovascular diseases account for about a third or more of all deaths by non-communicable diseases, which are typically lifestyle diseases, such as hypertension and leading to stroke. And with many Jamaicans unaware of their health status, the probability of cardiac arrest is high.

Despite this fact, many public health facilities are under-resourced to respond to such emergencies, a fact that has given rise to Professor William ‘Bill’ Aiken’s campaign as district governor for Rotary District 7020 to focus Rotary’s 98 clubs in 10 northern Caribbean countries on equipping public health facilities with automated external defibrillators (AED). The life-saving machines deliver an electric shock that resuscitates people experiencing cardiac arrests, increasing their survival rates tremendously, Aiken underscored.

Since last July, several machines have been donated to health facilities across Jamaica and other defibrillators have been donated in other Caribbean territories.

The Rotary Club of Trafalgar New Heights has donated the latest one, which it handed over recently to the Duhaney Park Health Centre in St Andrew. The facility serves well over 13,000 residents from Duhaney Park, Cooreville Gardens, Riverton and New Haven- all the way to Drewsland and Maverley, where RCTNH conducts the bulk of its service.

“We recognised the need right here in the community- the need for timely life-saving intervention in cardiac emergencies,” said Franchesca Francis, president of RCTNH, while handing over the equipment to health centre officials.

“Cardiovascular health has been a key focus of our district governor this year and rightly so, as heart-related conditions continue to affect so many families across our country. By providing this AED, we are taking a meaningful step toward improving emergency response and ultimately saving lives.”

Highlighting that the health centre is widely used by residents of Maverley, where RCTNH concentrates its efforts, Ms Francis said the donation demonstrates the club’s growing commitment to improving the quality of life across other communities.

“An AED is more than just a piece of equipment,” she underscored. “It represents hope, preparedness, and the power to act in critical moments. It is our sincere hope that this device will serve as a vital tool for the clinic’s staff and most importantly as a lifeline for those in need.”

Dr Wendy-Ann Byfield Lyons, medical officer in charge of the Duhaney Park Health Centre, described the equipment as vital, explaining that the facility sees up to 100 patients daily and experiences several emergencies weekly.

“So, the AED is definitely handy,” she affirmed. “We’re really grateful to the Rotary Club of Trafalgar New Heights for this donation.”

Her sentiments were reinforced by Dr Audre McIntosh, senior medical officer (health) at the Kingston and St Andrew Health Department.

“We’ve had this deficit for too long and we have had issues where people have come in with cardiac arrest. We do CPR but we are not able to revert their rhythm (heart rhythm) and they end up being pronounced at KPH (Kingston Public Hospital),” she explained. “So, we want to thank you very much from the Kingston and St Andrew Health Department.”

Along with the device, RCTNH, in keeping with the district governor’s campaign, will also be training at least 10 people from Maverley and Duhaney Park in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

“The device along with CPR increases the chance of survival after cardiac arrest by over 70 per cent,” Professor Aiken explained. “We are happy to know that in the event one unfortunately has a cardiac arrest, while here at the Duhaney Park Health Centre that along with CPR this device will increase their chance of survival significantly.”