Achi news desk-
The Quebec government says it will spend more than $3 million to equip all public schools with automated external defibrillators (AEDs) if they don’t already have one.
According to the government, this means that 1,558 defibrillators will be purchased and installed in order to ensure that every elementary school, high school and training center will be equipped.
According to the latest figures, 93% of secondary schools already have at least one defibrillator, but this drops to 51% in primary schools and 70% in vocational training centers and adult education centres.
The plan is to raise the rate to 100 percent.
This step follows a long-standing campaign by Dr. Paul Poirier, a cardiologist and professor at the Institut universitaire de cardiologie et de pneumologie de Québec, who has been working for several years to equip all schools with defibrillators.
An automated external defibrillator is a small, portable device that analyzes the heart rhythm of a person in distress to deliver an electric shock to correct any abnormal electrical activity in the heart.
It analyzes the heart rate and advises if a person should apply a shock so that the user does not have to make the decision themselves.
“If a rhythm that can be corrected by electrocution is not detected, the device advises against shock and instead recommends that the caregiver begin cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) until emergency medical services arrive,” explains the Heart and Stroke Foundation in a fact sheet. “When an AED and CPR are used immediately, the chances of survival of a victim of sudden cardiac arrest are significantly improved.”
— This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on June 4, 2024.