Health Facilities In Malls Mulled

MANILA, Philippines - As a precautionary measure during emergency cases, a Quezon City councilor filed a resolution requiring malls, supermarkets, shopping arcades and other business establishments to have adequate health care facilities to serve the needs of customers.

Third district Councilor Allan Benedict Reyes said the health facilities in the establishments are proposed to provide emergency response to clients in need of prompt medical care.

Reyes noted that some people, due to the unpredictable weather situation in the country, suffer from hypertension and other ailments while in public places.

"These unforseen onset of ailments must be addressed at first instance with emergency response to treat them immediately and save lives," Reyes said.

Reyes said that malls, supermarkets, and shopping arcades should include in their medical equipment the Automated External Defibrillator (AED), which is a portable electronic device that automatically diagnose the potential life threatening cardiac arrhythmias of ventricular fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia in a patient.

With AED, doctors are able to treat a patient through defibrillation, an application of electrical therapy which stops the arrhythmia, allowing the heart to re-establish as effective rhythm.

"It is important that a health care facility in business establishments in the city has this AED due to the fact that mortality rate of cardiovascular disease is high in the country and it is the leading cause of death in the Philippines," Reyes added.

The aim of his proposal, Reyes said, is to minimize, reduce or control the risk of cardiovascular disease by way of immediate response or attention to persons in danger of heart attack which could be fatal.