Man Dies Of Heart Attack As Staff Refuse Life-Saving Equipment

MAN dies of heart attack outside Tesco store as staff refuse to hand over life-saving equipment

A pensioner in his 90s sadly died after a staff member in a nearby Tesco Extra reportedly refused to hand over potentially life-saving defibrillator, claiming that it was no for public use. The elderly man suffered a cardiac arrest outside the store in Gillingham, Kent, and passerby Samantha Badger, who also happened to be the man’s neighbour, phoned the 999 before beginning CPR. Emergency services advised her to grab the defib machine from Tesco, and another good Samaritan ran to get it.

However, much to everyone’s dismay, the security guard of the store reportedly refused to hand the defibrillator over, and even called the police to report its ‘theft’. The pensioner passed away shortly before paramedics arrived on the scene.

Ms Badger, understandably devastated by the events, vented her frustration of Facebook.

She wrote: “I’m absolutely disgusted with Gillingham Tescos at Bowaters roundabout!” She went on to describe how another passerby went to the store on her instruction to collect the vital piece of kit while she desperately continued to perform CPR.

“Heartbreakingly, the patient had passed away and defib never did turn up because as the workman ran into Tesco and collected it as he was running out of the shop with it, the security guard stopped him and told him that it wasn’t for public use!

“The distraught man was so upset and explained that the 999 emergency services said to come and get it whilst a lady (me) was performing CPR on a suspected heart attack patient, but they wouldn’t let him leave the store with it.

“This may have saved this gentleman’s life, but instead the poor chap and myself fighting desperately to save his life, whilst being denied emergency equipment, meant he sadly didn’t make it!”

A Tesco spokesperson told The Sun: “We’re incredibly sorry to hear about this and are shocked to hear the reported circumstances.

“It wouldn’t be appropriate for us to comment further while we are investigating these reports.

“We have 2,600 defibrillators in stores across the country which are available for anyone to use and we are reminding colleagues of this.”

________________________________________________________________________

Thank you for taking the time to read this news article “Man Dies Of Heart Attack As Staff Refuse Life-Saving Equipment”. For more UK daily news, Spanish daily news and Global news stories, visit the Euro Weekly News home page.