The Heart Safe Cities project brings together health professionals and citizens from Greece and the Republic of North Macedonia to help prevent and manage cardiac arrest. The aim is to train people to react quickly when those around them start showing signs of a heart attack. The project is providing vital equipment in the cross-border region, including automated external defibrillators (AEDs) that are being placed in urban areas and local health units.
- 18 June 2020
The project will turn the city of Kalamaria into Greece’s first ‘Heart Safe Municipality’. Citizens trained in basic life support will be able to respond to heart attacks and use automated external defibrillators to be distributed in the area. Trained personnel in intermediate life support will take care of patients in area hospitals, where coronary care units will be upgraded with new medical equipment.
Heart Safe Cities is rolling out pilot schemes in Kalamaria in Thessaloniki, Greece, and Ohrid, North Macedonia. The aim is to increase the chances of successfully managing heart attacks outside a hospital. Improving early responses to a cardiac arrest gives people a better chance of survival and full recovery. Central to Heart Safe Cities is the large-scale training of citizens in basic life support and use of AEDs.
Training programmes
Through a of series of seminars – certified by European Resuscitation Council – the project is training around 5 500 citizens in basic life support and the use of automated external defibrillation (BLS-AED). In addition, about 550 people are being trained to become BLS instructors. A total of 750 doctors, nurses, paramedics and other medical staff are being trained in intermediate life support (ILS).
Improving the management of heart attacks is also being achieved through the purchase and provision of AEDs. Many of these are to be placed in public areas across Kalamaria and Ohrid, providing rapid access to people in need and those trained in their use.
In addition, the project is upgrading medical services in nine health units in the cross-border area through the supply of medical equipment. Along with the AEDs, equipment includes pulse monitoring systems, electrocardiographs, portable medical aspirators and immobilisation boards. Training mannequins have been supplied to help people learn CPR. In addition, Heart Safe Cities is working to increase the use of IT applications in the healthcare sector.
Raising awareness
Beyond the focus on training and equipment, the project is raising awareness about preventive healthcare with an emphasis on cardiovascular diseases and early diagnosis. About 8 000 citizens and stakeholders will be reached through a series of informational events and other promotional activities.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “Heart Safe Cities” is EUR 1 231 161, with the EU’s European Regional Development Fund contributing EUR 1 046 487 through the “IPA CBC Greece-Republic of North Macedonia” Operational Programme for the 2014-2020 programming period. The investment falls under the priority “Development and Support of Local Economy”.