BAGUIO CITY – The City Council approved on third and final reading a proposed ordinance requiring all private and public establishments in the city to provide basic life support services by employing personnel trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) who can administer CPR and automated external defibrillators (AED) in the event a customer or client needs the same.
The ordinance authored by Councilor Elmer Datuin stated that establishments, whether private or public, shall employ trained first aid teams or personnel who can administer CPR and AED or other similar techniques including the application of first aid and post services shall always be available during working or office hours of the said establishments.
Further, each government or private building shall supply and maintain an AED device which shall be made available in cases of emergencies and that the AED shall come with appropriate signages and in an accessible location within the said structure.
The ordinance mandated the City Health and Services Office to strictly monitor the implementation of the pertinent provisions of the local legislative measure and shall ensure that establishments will be compliant with the said measure.
Moreover, the CHSO shall conduct orientation for the concerned establishments for the implementation of the said measure and thereafter, the implementing office shall conduct regular inspection in all the establishments for their compliance.
The ordinance noted that it is provided under the provisions of the Local Government Code of 1991 that every local government unit shall exercise such other powers and discharge such other functions and responsibilities that are necessary, appropriate or incidental to the efficient and effective provision of basic services and facilities such as health services that include the implementation of programs and projects on primary health care and the like.
The ordinance claimed that there are several factors that can lead to an individual’s heart beat or breathing unexpectedly coming to a halt such as blood infections, heart attacks, simple accidents which can happen anywhere and at anytime and that chances of the said situations being fatal can be reduced if only someone nearby administers CPR.
Earlier, the Philippine Heat Association stated that in cases where a person suddenly falls unconscious with no pulse or breathing, it is important to provide immediate basic CPR and with AED, the chance of survival with no permanent damage is increased by 5 percent.
Republic Act (RA) No. 10871 or the Basic Life Support Training in Schools Act requires all private and public schools in the country to give basic education to their students to provide basic life support trainings through the use of psychomotor training in an aid appropriate manner and that it will teach students to give CPR and basic life support in situations where someone suffers sudden cardiac arrest.
Currently, there are pending bills in Congress that seek to require the placement of defibrillators in public places purposely to broaden the coverage of previous bills that were proposed for similar purposes.
By Dexter A. See