by Louise Doyle
DONEGAL recorded the highest number of calls to Ireland’s leading volunteer emergency medical response charity last year.
‘Critical’ has said it received the highest number of calls in 2024 from Donegal, with volunteers responding to 230 calls, followed by Waterford with 187 calls, Cork with 159 calls and Tipperary with 119 calls.
The charity is reporting a 45 per cent increase in calls in 2024 when compared to the previous year.
Last year, the charity responded to 1,308 taskings, where a volunteer responds to an emergency 999 call, up from 900 in 2023.
The type of taskings included chest pain, stroke, cardiac and respiratory arrest, falls and road traffic collisions.
Critical is Ireland’s leading Volunteer Emergency Medical Response charity and its mission is to save lives through a network of volunteer emergency medical responders.
The doctors and community first responders work closely with the National Ambulance Service and are tasked to care for the sickest and most seriously injured patients.
It is now operational in 25 counties with a number of new groups established last year including in Deansgrange in Co Dublin, Carrick-on-Suir, and Blackwater in North Cork.
There are plans for the launch of more groups in 2025.
Critical CEO David Tighe said: “The charity’s goal is to empower communities to save lives and it is great to see that our network of volunteer responders is growing. Critical is providing an invaluable service by working with the National Ambulance Service to ensure that anyone who is experiencing chest pain, stroke or cardiac arrest will be seen to within as quick a time as possible.”
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