A network of defibrillators in Crete

Wishing to establish a network of defibrillators in public and private spaces in Crete, the Regional Authority has issued an invitation to individuals and organisations to register with the DIXTY web application which is now operating as part of the ZOI (life) network.

Screenshot from the DIXTY web site
The application page for the DIXTY network at www.crete.gov.gr.

DIXTY is a digital tool for the registration, supervision and management of Automated External Defibrillators (AED) throughout Crete, with aim of providing immediate information as to the location of the nearest working defibrillator in the case of a cardiac episode. Through the application, citizens and responsible authorities can identify in real time the whereabouts of available equipment, decisively boosting readiness and the protection of public health.

The application is being implemented in collaboration with the Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Laboratory at the University of Crete’s Medical School and the Centre for eHealth Applications and Services (CeHA) at the FORTH research institute, and specific procedures are planned for the correct registration and maintenance of the defibrillators.

Bodies which possess AEDs are invited to submit an application for registration, which will be assessed by the Medical School, and thereafter to register their equipment on the system, assuming responsibility for regular checks on their operation.

Special emphasis is laid on the monthly checking of the defibrillators, the timely replacement of batteries and electrodes and the need to immediately inform the application in the case of removal or a change of details. It is stressed that updating the data is vital, so that the defibrillator which appears on the map is actually available and operational at the moment when it is needed.

The Region of Crete emphasises that the participation of as many bodies as possible in DIXTY could prove decisive for saving human lives, as immediate access to a defibrillator in the first few minutes of a cardiac episode significantly increases the chances of survival.
(Haniotika Nea, 09/01/26, Crete.gov.gr)

There is an online application form (in Greek only) at: https://apinidotes.crete.gov.gr/OrgRegistrationForm. Further information can be obtained at apinidotescrete@gmail.com

The ZOI programme of the Region of Crete

Map of Crete showing the location of defibrillators
The website apinidotes.crete.gov.gr carries a map of the defibrillators currently made available on the island through the ZOI programme. It also has links to the Apinidotes app, which enables one to quickly locate the nearest defibrillator in an emergency.

The Region of Crete’s ZOI programme aims to forestall cardiovascular episodes through the placing of 260 new generation defibrillators in sports grounds and much frequented points on the island. At the same time the programme includes the education of citizens in providing first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation, with the collaboration of bodies such as the Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Laboratory at the University of Crete’s Medical School, the Hellenic Red Cross, local volunteer rescue teams, the public Emergency Services (EKAB) and the Hellenic Institute for Crisis and Disaster Management.

The programme, which aims at reducing sudden deaths in public spaces, is supported by the National Health System and other local bodies. A mobile cardiological unit will be created for the diagnosis of cardiac illnesses in young people, reinforcing preventive activities.

Also, in collaboration with the Medical Association of Heraklion and the island’s five sports unions, a pilot programme is being put in motion for tracing inherited cardiac diseases. The pilot will test 3,000 athletes belonging to the age group 14 to 17 years. As the activity will cover the whole island, the Region of Crete has established the Mobile Cardiological Unit, which is fully equipped with modern medical equipment.
(https://apinidotes.crete.gov.gr/)