Yesterday the Province announced new legislation to require defibrillators be installed and maintained in high-traffic public places such as public schools, airports and recreation centres.
“A heart attack can strike quickly and without warning, but access to a defibrillator can dramatically increase the odds of survival,” said Oswald. “Our government is the first in the country to introduce legislation to help increase the number of defibrillators available in Manitoba and support public accessibility to these devices, which could save the lives of many Manitobans.”
Chris Broughton, president of Paramedics of Winnipeg, MGEU Local 911, has been instrumental in pushing for the new legislation.
“The fact of the matter is cardiac arrests occur outside of a hospital 85% of the time,” Broughton said. “They often happen in public places in the community, and we know that when someone has a cardiac arrest, rapid treatment can literally be the difference between life and death.”
“That’s why paramedics have been working closely with the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the department of Health from many months to ensure we do all we can to provide these devices wherever Manitobans gather,” he said.
According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Manitoba, defibrillation used with cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) can dramatically improve cardiac arrest survival rates by 75 per cent or more over CPR alone.
An automated external defibrillator contains sophisticated electronics that can identify cardiac rhythms. The equipment will deliver a shock to correct abnormal electrical activity in the heart. The defibrillator will only deliver a shock if the heart is in a rhythm which can be corrected by defibrillation.
The new legislation will require that defibrillators at designated public places will need to be registered. Signs will also be required to identify the location of a defibrillator. The location of each defibrillator will be shared with 911 dispatchers, so they can assist those trying to help a cardiac arrest victim find the nearest defibrillator and guide them through the proper use of the machine.
The province will work with medical experts, the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Manitoba and other stakeholders in the community to identify places where people are most at risk for a heart attack and would benefit from having a defibrillator on site.
This will include reviewing the level of risk of the activities carried out on the premises, the number and risk of the members of the public using the premises and the response time for local emergency services.
Installation of the defibrillators will be staged to allow facility owners to incorporate these costs into their financial planning. Schools and community recreation centres will also be able to access provincial government funding for defibrillators through existing capital and grant funding programs.
“I’m proud that this new legislation will support more tools that can be used to save lives,” said Oswald. “I want to express our appreciation and gratitude to Manitoba paramedics and the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Manitoba for their leadership and advocacy.”