The P84 hiking community on Penang Hill is hoping that the state will assist in the establishment of an emergency response team to assist hikers who suffer from sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) while exercising on the hill.
Datuk Jimmy Ong, head of the P84 committee, said the hikers were attempting to form an emergency team for other hikers and bikers.
“Learning cardiopulmonary resuscitation will benefit everyone on our team” (CPR).
CPR is the most immediate thing to perform when someone collapses due to SCA.
“If everyone learns CPR and can provide it, they can at least keep the patient alive until an AED (automated external defibrillator) or rescue team arrives.”
Ong was speaking during an event on the hill where AED devices were handed over to the P84 and P39 Penang Hill committee teams.
The events took place prior to the implementation of full movement control order 3.0 and lockdown.
He warned people to be careful of the intensity of their exercises.
“Some people can go on a 2 to 4hour hike in a single day. They may believe they are healthy.
“However, if cardiac arrest occurs, the response time is quite short, so it all depends on how quickly the people around you react to the situation.”
Ng Bong Seng, the chief operating officer of Pantai Hospital, gave two AED machines as donations from the hospital at the ceremony.
The AEDs will be strategically placed on Penang Hill.
10 muraya trees were planted at the rest stop by members of the George Town Lions Club and the P84 crew.
With the two new AEDs, Penang now has 70 publicly accessible AED machines, according to state local government committee chairman Jagdeep Singh Deo.
He went on to say, “We’ll ensure that there are more of these devices in strategic locations.”
He promised the P84 committee that they will consider for having an emergency response team stationed on Penang Hill.
“We already have emergency response teams throughout the state, but perhaps we need one on the hill as well,” he said.
SCA occurs when the heart stops beating suddenly. The person loses consciousness as well as his or her ability to breathe.
The Star posted an exclusive article last July showing how four persons in Penang died of SCA in three weeks.
This occurred immediately after the first MCO was loosened, allowing individuals to participate in sports after being locked up at home for nearly three months.
Source: thestar.com.my
