ABU DHABI, 28th November, 2013 (WAM) -- Lt. General H.H. Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, has instructed the Ministry of Interior to install the Automated External Defibrillators (AED) in the different public places across the country.
An Automated External Defibrillator (AED) is a portable electronic device that automatically diagnoses the potentially life threatening cardiac arrhythmias in a patient and is able to treat them through defibrillation, the application of electrical therapy which stops the arrhythmia, allowing the heart to reestablish an effective rhythm. Sheikh Saif asserted that the initiative is in pursuance of the generous and fatherly efforts of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE. It also reflects the dedication of His Highness, father of the Emirati family, towards every individual who lives on this prosperous land, which has become an oasis of security and safety for all, according to Abu Dhabi Police website. Accordingly, the Emergency and Public Safety Department installed on Wednesday, the first of many devices at Marina Mall in Abu Dhabi, and carried out a hands-on training for the mall?s employees on how to operate the resuscitation device for the service of the mall?s visitors. The department is scheduled to install a similar device on Thursday at Burj Khalifa. Other vital facilities across the country will be equipped with AEDs successively. Lt. General H.H. Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan was briefed by a team from the Emergency and Public Safety Department at the Directorate General of Central Operations at the Abu Dhabi Police GHQ, on the importance of Automated External Defibrillators (AED) for cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and its role in reducing death rates due to sudden cardiac arrest outside hospitals. Sheikh Saif gave his orders to provide free training for both Emiratis and residents of the UAE on how to use the new device that is safe and easy to use. This will be achieved through simplified training courses organized by the ministry to those wishing to receive training; schedules are to be announced later. Major General Ahmed Nasser Al Raisi, Director General of Central Operations at the Abu Dhabi Police GHQ, confirmed the readiness of the Emergency and Public Safety Department to provide training for citizens and residents on how to operate the device, in a bid to reduce mortality due to cardiac arrest outside hospitals, raise first aid awareness among community members, and upgrade the standard of first aid services according to international standards. Under the theme Initiative and Awareness Contribute to Rescue Lives, the Security Media Department will be launching an awareness-raising media campaign to acquaint the public with the defibrillator, how to operate it, and where it can be found. Major General Al Raisi said: "The United Arab Emirates is one of the first countries in the region to popularize the use of this important device, after proving its efficiency in reducing death rates in countries that have adopted it. Worldwide, mortality rates due to sudden cardiac arrest account for more than 90%; using this device has decreased it to less than 30%."Copyright Emirates News Agency (WAM) 2013.
