By the end of 2018, an additional 800 AEDs (automated external defibrillators) will be installed in public areas around Pudong, reports Shine.
An automated external defibrillator is a portable lifesaving device which treats those who suffer a heart attack through defibrillation and allows the heart to resume normal function. Being more efficient than mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and CPR, AEDs can be used by non-professionals with simple training.
The newly-added AEDs will be installed in public areas including metro stations, schools, residential communities and shopping malls. In addition, Pudong District will train 2,000 volunteers on how to use the machines effectively.
Image via The Paper
Promoted by the local branch of Red Cross from September of 2015, there are currently over 1,100 AEDs installed across the city, according to Kankanews. That being said, the number is still far from enough with many essential locations in Shanghai going without the lifesaving equipment.
On Monday August 6, a male commuter suddenly collapsed in Xujiahui Metro station. Although two civilians stepped up and performed CPR, the man passed away later that afternoon. Things could have been different if Xujiahui station, one of the busiest stations in the city, had been equipped with an AED. Currently, only 39 out of 395 stations are equipped with an AED, says Shine.
"AEDs are still scarce in the city despite the rapid increase over the past few years," Zhou Xiaohang, an official from Shanghai Red Cross, told Eastday. "With the population of Shanghai amounting to 24 million, there should be at least 40 thousand AEDs to meet the demand."
Speaking of subsequent plans, Zhou says that they are considering combining the device with vending machines. Moreover, they will do their utmost to raise public awareness of the lifesaving machines as many civilians still don't know what an AED is and where to find them.
[Cover image via The Paper]
