PETALING JAYA, May 16 — The Selangor government is in the final stage of refining guidelines for the installation of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) in public areas across the state, which is expected to be finalised this year.
State executive councillor public health and environment Jamaliah Jamaluddin said a workshop with all local authorities is scheduled around June, after which a final report will be prepared to coordinate the implementation of the guidelines.
She said the State Economic Planning Unit (UPEN) is also studying several implementation models from other states, including Penang, which already has its own AED guidelines.
“Among the challenges is that Selangor has 12 local councils compared to only two in Penang. In addition, Selangor’s population is much larger.
“We are now at the final stage, with only the workshop with all local councils remaining to gather feedback and examine challenges in each area before it is finalised,” she said.
She said this after a cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and AED training programme with the SS20 community in Damansara Utama here today.
Jamaliah said initial focus will be given to new developments, requiring developers to include AED facilities in future projects.
“For existing areas, we are still studying jurisdiction and implementation mechanisms, including the possibility of making it mandatory in selected locations."
Apart from installing AEDs, she said maintenance, safety, and regular community training must also be emphasised to ensure the devices can be used effectively during emergencies.
She added that the state government is also encouraging AED installation in high-traffic and high-risk areas such as badminton courts, sports centres and recreational parks.
“I also encourage all assemblymen to give full attention to the use of AEDs in their respective areas and prepare for their installation in strategic locations,” she said.
Earlier, the Damansara Utama state constituency service centre contributed RM5,000 to provide an AED machine placed at a restaurant near SS20 for emergency use by local residents.
