NSW Ambulance encourages people to volunteer to help with GoodSAM program

A NSW man who was having a heart attack is alive today after a volunteer was alerted to his situation through an app on his phone.

A NSW man has thanked the stranger who saved his life after they were alerted he was having a heart attack through the GoodSAM program.

The NSW Ambulance’s GoodSAM program offers volunteers a chance to sign up to assist those suffering a heart attack.

The program has already saved 17 lives, including Robert Salloum who had a cardiac arrest at his home on February 29.

A NSW man was in cardiac arrest when an ambulance was called to help. Picture: NewsWire / Damian Shaw

Mr Salloum’s wife Antoinette called triple-zero and began CPR on her husband.

Within minutes, GoodSAM responder Phu Dinh and his wife Irma Ekmescic, who are both nurses, arrived at the Salloum house.

The pair were just around the corner and they jumped in their car to assist.

Mr Dinh began CPR while being supported on the phone by NSW Ambulance emergency medical call taker Lucy Field.

Robert Salloum meets with GoodSAM responder Phu Dinh after he saved his life. Picture: Supplied

Mr Dinh and Ms Ekmescic worked on Mr Salloum for about five minutes before paramedics arrived.

Jovan Miletic also received the GoodSAM alert and arrived to assist Mr Salloum.

Paramedic Tony Farrell said Mr Dinh’s CPR was very good and effective, and thankfully Mr Salloum made a full recovery.

NSW Health minister Ryan Park said the GoodSAM program was saving lives across the state and encouraged anyone over the age of 18 to sign up to volunteer.

GoodSAM responders Phu Dinh and Irma Ekmescic meet with NSW Health minister Ryan Park after they answered the alert. Picture: Supplied

“Increasing volunteer numbers increases the odds that someone is near enough to perform simple chest compressions in the first few minutes while paramedics arrive and help save a life,” Mr Park said.

“As we all know, every minute counts when someone is in cardiac arrest and for every minute that a patient is in cardiac arrest and does not receive CPR, their chance of survival drops by seven to 10 per cent.”

About 6500 NSW residents have already volunteered for the GoodSAM program since it was launched back in November last year.

Originally published as NSW Ambulance encourages people to volunteer to help with GoodSAM program