i saw this at a shopping mall in s'pore recently.
an AED is an automated external defibrillator. (read here) it's a crucial piece of equipment used in Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation, & in addition to being readily available at all medical facilities, the American Heart Association recommends that public places like office complexes, shopping malls & sports arenas be equipped with these devices.
although any man-on-the-street can perform CPR, the AED should only be used by those trained in CPR (read here) which explains the warning label & the key in the glass casing.
although this mall is to be applauded for installing AEDs for emergency use, the success of this operation is dependent on many interconnected processes, eg.
1) the public must be aware of its location;
2) it must be regularly serviced/maintained to preserve its function;
3) there must be a mass training in CPR for the public before the use of AEDs can be effective;
4) there must be an rapid-respond emergency team available within minutes of such an an emergency;
if all these procedures were in place, you'd wonder if the tragedy at a recent marathon could have been prevented. read Zewt's take here.
it's all academic now, but don't bet on such an incident NOT repeating in the near future.
PS. the AED in this post is located at the basement level of Wisma Atria & i'm told there are many like this positioned in offices/malls along orchard road. iPhone users in s'pore can download the free app "AED nearby" to locate the nearest device.
10 comments:
Besides the "AED Nearby" for iphones, Android users can also download the free "ShowNearby AED" app from the respective app stores.
Dana,
thanks for the tip.
Besides making this available here , first te public must be aware of the purpose of this AED . No point of having it around when no one is aware of it's existence in the first place.
UG,
we are still a long way from the informed society of a developed nation that we aspire to be. we need to do the CPR thing 1st - that alone should save a few lives without the AED.
Looking at the way people vandalise everything under the sun incl places with 'No Stick Bills' even if AED is available, it wouldn't survive long, be visible or in working condition when the need arise.
If the ambulance (as per eye wirness account & news report) does not even have the basic equipment, what more can we expect from govt of the day? Keep fingers crossed never to collapse in public !
Missyc,
in other words, the best hope m'sia has is to place the AEDs at very public places, eg. within office complexes & shopping malls, so that they don't suffer the same horrible fate as the public phones.
the state of the ambulances reflects the malaise that afflicts many public hospitals, & perhaps some private ones as well.
instead of keeping fingers crossed, better to learn CPR & encourage family members /relatives /close friends to do likewise.
was in atria but didnt notice it was there... cant imagine something like this is available in a shopping complex but not available in an ambulance.
Zewt,
download AED Nearby or ShowNearby AED & see if it works.
not a fair comparison, because one's in s'pore & the other in m'sia.
don't you just stick on the leads and then the AED tells you what to do?
Do I scare you with that statement that I once used to be a qualified first aider? Haha.
Anastasia,
don't forget to switch it on 1st!!
no, in fact, we all are relieved to know that you have 1st-aid skills. that way, you can save yourself should you ..er... injure yourself. ha ha!
:P
Post a Comment