THE Baguio City Council approved on first reading a proposed ordinance requiring all private and public establishments in the city to provide basic life support services by employing personnel trained in first aid.
Authored by Councilor Elmer Datuin, the ordinance requires first aid teams or personnel who can administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and use an automated external defibrillator (AED). They should be available during working or office hours.
An AED is a portable device that treats sudden cardiac arrest by sending an electric shock to the heart to try to restore a normal rhythm.
The ordinance requires each government or private building to supply and maintain an AED (device), which will be made available in case of emergencies and the AED should come with signage and maintained in an accessible location within the government and private buildings.
The ordinance added the City Health Services Office (CHSO) will be tasked to monitor the strict implementation of the local legislative measure and will issue policies or guidelines and orient establishments on the implementation of the measure and thereafter, CHSO will also conduct regular inspection of all establishments for their compliance of the ordinance.
Datuin said pertinent provisions of the Local Government Code of the Philippines provides a local government unit should exercise such other powers and discharge such other functions and responsibilities as necessary, appropriate or incidental to efficient and effective provision of basic services and facilities such as health services which include the implementation of programs and projects on primary health care and the like.
Datuin said there are several factors which can lead to the unexpected cessation of an individual’s heartbeat or breathing such as blood infection, heart attack, simple accidents, which can happen anywhere at any time and chances of the situation being fatal can be reduced if someone can immediately administer CPR or AED.
Republic Act 10871, otherwise known as the Basic Life Support Training in Schools Act, requires all public and private schools in the country to educate students in providing basic life support through the use of psychomotor training in an age appropriate manner. Students should be taught to give CPR and basic life support in situations when someone suffers sudden cardiac arrest.
The late senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago introduced two bills, the purpose of which is to provide adequate first aid care to victims of heart attacks and to train children to administer AED to increase the survival rate of victims of heart attack.
Datuin said all pertinent laws and pending measures before Congress must also be supported by the local government by requiring all establishments, whether private or public, to employ personnel who can provide CPR and administer AED in the event a client or customer needs said services. (Dexter See)