(ANSA) – BOLOGNA, 02 OCTOBER – A few minutes can be enough to save a life: using the defibrillator within the first four minutes of the onset of a cardiac arrest can guarantee survival between 50 and 70% of cases, a probability that is decreasing by 10-12% for every minute that passes. For this reason, Emilia-Romagna has decided to strengthen its network of automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) and has financed the purchase by healthcare companies of around a thousand new devices with one and a half million euros. With another 753 thousand euros of state funding arriving there will be further purchases and by the end of the year the automatic defibrillators installed throughout the region will reach 10 thousand.
The announcement – complete with a practical demonstration of use in front of the cameras – was made today by the Health Councilor Raffaele Donini together with the coordinator of the regional 118 emergency network, Antonio Pastori.
The objective is to encourage the use of AEDs outside hospital areas where cardiac arrest occurs most frequently. Thanks to this investment, the devices, complete with storage case and maintenance costs, will then be given on free loan or in other forms of concession to local bodies, companies or associations. The companies themselves will develop autonomous plans for the placement of the equipment based on the needs and characteristics of the territories.
Today in Emilia-Romagna there are already 8,385 automatic or semi-automatic external defibrillators available (of which 393 on mobile vehicles) accessible outside hospitals, with a growth of over 12% compared to 2023, said Donini. They are mainly installed in private companies (2,224), sports facilities (1,742), public places (1,418) and schools (936).
“But defibrillators alone are not enough – underlined Donini – This is why in Emilia-Romagna we already have half a million people trained in the use of AEDs and over 23 thousand citizens who have downloaded the app and are alerted in the event of an emergency nearby” . (HANDLE).
2024-10-03 01:47:23