Heart attack campaign encourages 000 use

Jessica Benton
NO ONE has died of embarrassment but people are dying after failing to call emergency services – that’s the message being broadcast across the Geelong region during a medical campaign.
Geelong is one of three regions to take part in a pilot program aimed at minimising treatment delay to reduce death and disability from heart attacks.
The Warning Signs of Heart Attack campaign aims to raise public awareness about phoning Triple zero.
Victorian Heart Foundation chief executive Kathy Bell said Geelong’s high percentage of diabetes sufferers meant the region was more likely to have heart attack victims.
“Rural and regional areas do have high levels of cardiac risk,” she said.
“There is a very strong link between type two diabetes and heart disease because the majority of type two sufferers will go on to die from coronary heart disease.
“It’s not surprising if there is an area with high numbers of type two sufferers that there would probably be a high number of people with cardiac vascular disease.”
The Independent reported in March that Geelong was one of Australia’s worst hotspots for diabetes, with more than 12,000 sufferers.
Ms Bell said 20 per cent of the Barwon region’s population had cardiovascular disease.
She hoped the campaign would education the community on how to react to warning signs of heart attack.
“We want to increase people’s understanding of the warning signs and their readiness to dial 000 if they recognise the signs,” she said.
“A lot of people will call a friend, family member or their doctor because they’re in denial or don’t want to be a bother but our message is this is life threatening and you don’t want to waste time.”