Heart attack death, sparks Ireland travel health debate

Health concerns for passengers on Irish ferries are beign raised following the death of a passenger.

A Polish truck driver aged in his 50's had a heart attack on an Irish feries sailing from Hollyhead, Wales to Dun Laoghaire, Ireland. Despite the efforts of several passengers to save the man, he died about an hour after being taken ill. Two nurses who were passengers on the ship resuscitated him a number of times. One of the nurses claimed on RTÉ’s Liveline programme that without the passengers’ intervention the man “would have been left to die” due to the lack of a defibrillator and staff trained to use one. “He did die, but he had a chance of living because we did resuscitate him. This happened several times with our efforts.” The man had “not a nice death” on the ship, she said. “It was quite traumatic for the poor man. We just tried to talk to him and reassure him. He had that frightened look on his face. He was obviously in a bad way.”
Now calls for all Irish ferry operators should carry lifesaving defibrillation equipment are being raised.
Currently Ferry companies and airlines are under no legal obligation to carry lifesaving defibrillation equipment, despite carrying hundreds of passengers for hours at a time.
A spokesperson said the policy would be reviewed. “That review will possibly include some discussion with the regulatory bodies in relation to this matter. “We carry every single item of medical equipment that we’re required to legally, under regulations,” said the spokesperson, adding that in serious medical emergencies the captain decides whether to call for a helicopter to airlift the patient, or wait until the vessel docks.
In this case it was decided that by the time a helicopter was scrambled, the ferry would have arrived in Dún Laoghaire.
The Irish Aviation Authority said passenger aircraft aren’t legally obliged to carry defibrillators. “It’s being looked at European level at the moment,” a spokesperson said.

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Heart attack death, sparks Ireland travel health debate