KUALA LUMPUR: Given that time is crucial in saving heart attack patients, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin wants to push for buildings to have an automated external defibrillator (AED) installed at their premises.
Underlining the importance of this medical device, Khairy pointed out that half of the deaths caused by acute myocardial infarction happened outside of the hospital and patients died before reaching the hospital.
“Heart diseases are one of the top causes of fatalities. There have been so many cases of people being struck by a heart attack but weren’t able to get to the hospital on time.
“We need a whole-of-society approach to make this work,” he said after opening the 11th National Acute Myocardial Infarction Course by Serdang Hospital in Bangsar here yesterday.
AED is a medical device to analyse the heart rhythm and deliver an electric shock to victims of ventricular fibrillation to restore their heart rhythm.
Ventricular fibrillation occurs when a patient has an uncoordinated heart rhythm, which is the most common cause of a heart attack.
Khairy said that in many countries, an AED was commonly available at buildings housing education institutions, government and corporate offices.
“It does not make sense for a RM100mil building, for instance, to not have an AED.
‘’It must be displayed and we need to train as many people as possible to be first responders,” he said, adding that people needed to be taught to be first respondents.
The minister, however, did not mention the targetted timeline for the AED proposal.
He said he would discuss it with the relevant ministries, state and local governments.
‘’I will push for it... for a start, for government buildings to have them before moving to bigger buildings,” he said.
Khairy also said he would raise the matter with the Cabinet soon.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Get 20% OFF The Star Digital Access
Cancel anytime. Ad-free. Unlimited access with perks.
