Sarawak gives public places up to 3 years to install defibrillators

Public places in Sarawak will be given two to three years to install automated external defibrillators (AEDs) following amendments to the Sarawak Building Ordinance 1994.

Sarawak deputy premier Dr Sim Kui Hian said the requirement, which came into force on May 15, would be implemented progressively to give operators time to make the necessary financial allocations.

“I urge all public places, including shopping centres, government buildings and increasingly, apartment buildings, to start looking into this,” The Borneo Post reported him as saying.

“It is compulsory, but implementation will take place over a period of time,” he told reporters after officiating a Malaysian Red Crescent Society charity run in Kuching.

Sim, a cardiologist by training, said installing AEDs alone was insufficient, as the devices must also undergo regular recertification to ensure they remain in good working condition.

He stressed that personnel must also be trained to use the equipment so they can respond swiftly to cardiac emergencies.

The devices, which cost between RM5,000 and RM20,000, are designed for use in public places and can be operated by non-medical personnel. They come with automated voice instructions and deliver an electric shock to help restore a normal heart rhythm in someone experiencing cardiac arrest.

Medical experts have said the chances of survival can increase significantly when cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and an AED are administered promptly before emergency medical personnel arrive.