U.S. Northern Command coordinates donation of defibrillators to Mexico
U.S. Northern Command coordinates donation of defibrillators to Mexico
PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. – United States Northern Command, in coordination with U.S. Consulate General in Hermosillo, Sonora purchased $15,000 worth of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) under the Overseas Humanitarian, Disaster Assistance and Civic Aid (OHDACA) program in line with DOD Global Health Engagement efforts.
This project was in support of the Secretary of Health of the State of Sonora (Secretaria de Salud de Sonora) continuing efforts to improve their health services capabilities and to promote goodwill between the U.S. government and the people of Mexico.
OHDACA appropriations are administered by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency and distributed to the Geographic Combatant Commands for management and execution.
The Consulate General of the United States in Hermosillo donated the defibrillators to the Secretary of Health of the State of Sonora.
The delivery of these AEDs will be coordinated between U.S. Consulate and the Secretaria de Salud de Sonora to five general hospitals and three health centers in the State of Sonora, in support of the families of the region.
The centers that will directly benefit are the General Hospitals of Ures, Moctezuma , Guaymas , Navojoa and Alamos, as well as the Rural Health Centers of the Bay of Kino, Miguel Aleman and the Urban Health Center of Empalme, which will provide services to approximately 90,000 Mexican citizens within the region.
According to a study conducted in 2012 by the Instituto Nacional de Estadistica y Geografia (National Institute of Statistics and Geography), heart disease is among the leading cause of death in people 65 years and older in Mexico, usually occurring as sudden cardiac arrest. These AEDs will augment the capabilities of health providers and first responders to improve the chances of cardiac arrest patients to survive.
These AEDs are also suitable for use by minimally trained personnel as the devices provide instructions in a loud and clear voice that guides the user throughout a high stress resuscitation scenario. This equipment is considered safe to use because it analyzes the heart rhythm of the incapacitated person and determines whether it is necessary and will permit use of the defibrillator or not.
http://www.northcom.mil/Newsroom/PressReleases/tabid/4000/Article/8109/us-northern-command-coordinates-donation-of-defibrillators-to-mexico.aspx
