BELFAST, Northern Ireland & NEWTOWN, Pa.
Defibrillator manufacturer HeartSine Technologies has landed a leading multi-million dollar contract to supply life-saving defibrillators to the Singapore Ministry of Defence (MINDEF).
Almost 1,900 Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) have been purchased by Singapore’s Armed Forces. Three quarters of the HeartSine samaritan PAD 500P AEDs purchased will be installed in communal areas of the camps, while the remaining will be deployed in medical centers or during field training.
Military service is compulsory in Singapore, so every male is called for service for an average of 20 months upon reaching the age of 18. Due to the increasing number of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) fatalities in Army camps, along with the tough physical training the youth are put through during their two-years of service, MINDEF sought to implement a comprehensive AED program.
Don Mok, Chief Executive of HTM Medico, the HeartSine authorized distributor in Singapore that secured the contract, says “Every military camp in Singapore―for all land, air and sea troops―will now have HeartSine defibrillators installed. This will ensure that extremely easy to use, life-saving AEDs are always readily available, which is important as any loss of these young citizens is a great loss to our nation.”
The HeartSine samaritan PAD 500P AED was selected in a competitive tender process in which all of the major AED brands participated. HeartSine was chosen for its comprehensive combination of key features, including easy portability due to its compact size and light weight, the device’s IP56 rating which provides the highest level of dust and moisture protection, and its unique CPR Advisor which uses an Impedance Cardiogram (ICG) to assess the effectiveness of the CPR and give the rescuer feedback on compressions.
All Singapore military camps in Singapore will now have HeartSine defibrillators installed, after what was the biggest ever AED tender in the South Asian country.
Chief Executive of HeartSine Technologies, Declan O’Mahoney said:
“This is a fantastic achievement for HeartSine, reflecting the worldwide recognition and extremely high quality of our defibrillators. While this is our largest contract in Singapore, we also have placed HeartSine devices in the Singapore Civil Defence Force, Singapore Parliament and the Ministry of Health.
“Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) occurs when blood stops flowing around the body and the heart stops beating unexpectedly. If someone suffers SCA, their chance of survival using Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) is around 5%, but, when combined with the use of a defibrillator can rise to 75%. The figures speak for themselves. Defibrillators shock the heart back into a normal rhythm after SCA, but the chances of survival decrease by 10% for every minute that this shock is delayed.”
There are almost 8,000 cases of SCA in Singapore each year, with over one thousand deaths reported in 2011.
Adds Mok:
“SCA can happen to anyone, including those who are young and physically fit, just like our soldiers. In fact, just six months ago, in what was a high profile case, a young Lance Corporal suffered SCA while training, and fortunately survived. Having life-saving defibrillators at hand really will be the difference between life and death for all members of our valued Armed Forces.”
About HeartSine Technologies:
HeartSine Technologies, a world leader in personal and public access defibrillators, advances the deployment of life-saving defibrillation therapy for the treatment of Sudden Cardiac Arrest in non-traditional areas of care.
Designed for use in public areas, the company’s entire line of Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) products leverages its proprietary, clinically advanced SCOPE technology to optimize the administration of life-saving treatment.
HeartSine is based Newtown, Pennsylvania and Belfast, Northern Ireland. To learn how a HeartSine AED can save lives, please visit www.heartsine.com/ or follow HeartSine at Facebook, and Twitter.
CONTACT
HeartSine Technologies
Rene’ Williams, 949-360-7770
rene.williams@heartsine.com
