The Regional Secretary for Health announced that, starting today, all regional Health centres will be equipped with defibrillator monitors equipment with online data transmission, which will allow the provision of a "quality response to users."

The acquisition of these new devices, following the improvements that have been implemented in the Regional Health Service, aims to "ensure a proximity-based and better medical response," stressed Luís Cabral. The government official spoke at the presentation and delivery of the equipment at Corvo Health Unit, which was attended by the President of the Government, Vasco Cordeiro.

"This system allows the doctor assigned to the Regional Civil Protection Service of the Island Health Unit to monitor patients during emergency situations. This is especially important on the islands without hospital and provides support to General Practitioners in their clinical decision," said Luís Cabral.

In this particular project, according to the Regional Secretary, "there is a real-time transmission of vital signs measured through a device specially designed for this purpose, allowing the remote analysis of electrocardiographic tracing, saturation curve and capnometry, blood pressure values and even the quality of advanced life support manoeuvres."

This system, which represents an investment of around 400 thousand Euros from the Regional Government, "ensures and proximity-base response on all islands and improves communication between medical services." Moreover, it will "reduce the transfer of patients when it is not necessary and speeds up the procedures for the transfers that have to be made," added the government official.

According to Luís Cabral, the use of these defibrillators with online data transmission is especially useful in view of the reality of the Azorean archipelago.

This is another investment that will improve the access of patients to the Regional Health Service, Luís Cabral stressed, adding that it provides patients with the possibility of second opinion on their clinical status, allowing doctors to take a more accurate decision regarding the patient's condition.

This project falls within the Regional Government's goal to provide an adequate response to the health needs of the population with the introduction of modern health equipment.