Public places in Sarawak, such as shopping centres and government buildings, must now be equipped with automated external defibrillators (AEDs), but operators will be given two to three years to install them, says Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian.
The requirement, part of amendments to the state’s building laws that came into force on May 15, will be enforced in stages so that building owners and managers can set aside funds for the devices, he told reporters after officiating a charity run in Kuching on Sunday (Nov 15).
Sim said installing the devices was compulsory but would be phased in over time, and urged the operators of public places, from shopping centres and government buildings to apartment blocks, to start looking into it.
He said that if the rule were enforced immediately, operators could argue that they had not budgeted for it, but anyone who still had not complied after two or three years would be showing that they never intended to.
He added that installing the machines alone was not enough. The devices must be maintained and recertified regularly, and staff at each premises must be trained to use them so that they can act quickly when someone suffers a cardiac arrest.
AEDs are portable devices designed to be used by members of the public. They give spoken instructions and can deliver an electric shock to help restore a normal heart rhythm in a person in cardiac arrest.
Prompt cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) combined with early use of an AED before paramedics arrive can greatly improve a patient’s chances of survival. Sim, a cardiologist, has for several years pushed for wider access to AEDs and more CPR training in Sarawak.