The Ministry of Health has received a donation of 20 Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) from Aus Railway Services to enhance emergency healthcare services across Fiji.

The donation, which includes AEDs housed in protective cabinets, was handed over earlier last week by Mukesh Naidu, general manager of strategic supply and operations at Aus Railway Services, to Minister for Health Dr Atonio Lalabalavu.

Dr Atonio confirmed two of the AEDs had already been installed in Rotuma, while two others were now in use in Fiji — one at the Fiji Pharmaceutical Biomedical Services in Suva and another at the health quarters in Nadi.

“One AED has been established as the main unit, and the remaining devices will be rolled out soon to various locations, including urban and rural health centres across the country,” Dr Atonio said.

Mr Naidu said the AEDs were life-saving portable devices designed to treat individuals who experienced sudden cardiac arrest.

He said they were easy to use and could analyse the heart’s rhythm and deliver an electrical shock if necessary to help re-establish a normal heart rhythm.

“AEDs are used to help those experiencing sudden cardiac arrest. It’s a sophisticated, yet easy-to-use, medical device that can analyzs the heart’s rhythm and, if necessary, deliver an electrical shock, or defibrillation, to help the heart re-establish an effective rhythm,” Mr Naidu said.

“So if there’s an event on, a public event, something that the Ministry of Health is helping with, a school, or the hospitals, they can take this with them to a large gathering, to protect the community if there is an accident.

“Give people time to get to the hospital, save their life.”

Dr Lalabalavu thanked Aus Railway Services for their support, noting that the AEDs would play an important role in saving lives and improving the nation’s overall emergency healthcare response.