COLOMBO : Donation of Automated External Defibrillator to the Bandaranaike International Airport took place on Monday, December 19 at the Silk Route Lounge of the Bandaranaike International Airport.
The event was attended by the Chairman of Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) (Private) Limited Major General (Rtd) G. A. Chandrasiri, Deputy Director General of Health Services Dr. S. Sridharan, President of College of Anesthetists and Intensivists Dr. Anoma Perera, Chairperson of National Resuscitation Council Dr. Nilmini Wijesiri and Managing Director of Hemas Surgicals and Diagnostics Jude Fernando.
Cardiac arrest is one of the leading causes of death in Sri Lanka. 95% of victims of sudden cardiac arrest lose their lives due to the non-availability of timely medical care.
Many countries have introduced Automated External Defibrillators for public use as a solution to address this challenge. The Automated External Defibrillator (AED) is a device that is designed to check the ECG waveform of the patient and give voice commands and deliver an electric shock when necessary to resuscitate the patient. These machines are designed to be used by “Non-medical Personnel” after training.
The Bandaranaike International Airport handles an average of 1.5 million passengers per year and reports frequent cases of Cardiac arrest. Taking note of this situation Hemas Surgicals & Diagnostics (Pvt) Ltd has decided to install an Automated External Defibrillator at the Colombo Airport free of charge and coordinate the training of the usage of the AED machine and CPR for Airport employees under the supervision of the College of Anesthetists and Intensivists of Sri Lanka.
