MELAKA – A total of 2,000 automated external defibrillators (AEDs) will be placed at popular destinations such as tourist spots, shopping malls, recreation areas, and places of worship here, to offer vital first aid to people experiencing sudden cardiac arrest.
Majlis Datuk-Datuk Negeri Melaka (MDDNM) deputy president Datuk Ahmad Zaini Mohd Amin, who also chairs the heart safety programme, said the AEDs would be installed in stages over the next two to three years.
He said the programme organised by MDDNM in collaboration with the Melaka Civil Defence Force and St John Ambulance of Malaysia, also provided CPR training to members of the public to act as first responders in giving first aid with the device.
“So far, six AEDs have been placed in public places, with four located at the Seri Negeri Complex, while 60 people have been trained as first responders through this programme.
“This is part of MDDNM’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) commitment. The devices are contributions from various parties, to ensure that individuals who have a heart attack in public can be revived,” told reporters after presenting the AEDs to Chief Minister Datuk Seri Sulaiman Md Ali here yesterday.
Zaini said 28 State Assembly Development and Coordination Committee Offices in the state would be used as centres to train first responders to use the AEDs.
“We also welcome those who wish to participate in this CSR programme, so that more people in Melaka will have access to an AED in case of an emergency,” he said.
Meanwhile, Sulaiman said the programme and installation of the AEDs in public places were in line with the initiatives under the Melakaku Maju Jaya 2035 Strategic Plan, which emphasises the health and well-being of the state’s people. – Bernama, July 7, 2022