VOLUNTEER EMERGENCY RESPONDERS TO PROVIDE VITAL SERVICE IN NORTH CORK

CRITICAL, the emergency medical response charity, has established a new team in North Cork and now has a doctor and five paramedics and Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) volunteering in the area.

Dr Adrian Sheahan from Mallow has signed up to respond to serious incidents and potentially life-threatening medical emergencies in the region. He is an Emergency Registrar at Cork University Hospital and has a strong interest in pre-hospital medicine. He qualified as a doctor in 2017 and worked in hospitals in Sligo and Limerick before moving back to Cork.

CRITICAL has provided Dr Sheahan with an emergency vehicle and the equipment necessary to care for the sickest and most seriously injured patients. He works closely with the National Ambulance Service and is tasked to road traffic collisions, cardiac arrests, farming accidents and other major trauma within 30km of where he lives.

Dr Adrian Sheahan said, “Pre-hospital care is my passion and is an area with huge potential. We have the ability to keep some patients out of hospital entirely, with others, we’re ensuring they have the very best chance of survival and improving their recovery outcomes by starting treatment at the scene. North Cork is a predominantly rural area, the size of Co Louth, with quite a large elderly population. This puts additional pressure on the emergency services so it is fantastic to have such a strong team volunteering in North Cork. The responders are willing to go above and beyond for their local areas, responding to calls straight after finishing their shift at work. Emergency and pre-hospital medicine requires a massive team effort and I would like to thank the Consultants at CUH for their encouragement and support to volunteer with CRITICAL.”

Dr Sheahan has also been joined by an Emergency Medical Technician and four members of the National Ambulance Service who will respond to 999 calls in their local area when they are off-duty. The charity has provided each responder with an Emergency Backpack containing a defibrillator, a resuscitation kit and a medical diagnostic kit at a cost of €1,500. It means that there is additional emergency cover in Charleville, Kanturk, Millstreet, Mallow and Fermoy.  

Michéal Sheridan, CEO of CRITICAL said, “North Cork is a priority area for us as we expand our network of volunteer doctors and emergency medical responders to communities across the country. We’re delighted to have Dr Adrian Sheahan join our team and respond to serious emergencies in the region. We now have 10 doctors volunteering with us in North Cork, Donegal, Mayo, Dublin, Wicklow and Waterford. Their equipment is entirely funded by donations and fundraisers carried out by members of the public in North Cork and across the country. It costs €25,000 to establish an Advanced Level Doctor and €120,000 to put a new Critical Care response vehicle on the road. We also provided Emergency Backpacks to five Emergency Medical Responders based in towns and villages across North Cork. These Off-Duty Responders have significant experience working with the National Ambulance Service and other providers. They are tasked to emergencies in their local communities providing a vital service and helping us in our mission to save lives.”

For more information about CRITICAL or to make a donation visit https://criticalcharity.ie/