Education and Sport Minister Clifton Grima has backed calls for better public access to potentially life-saving defibrillators, following the sudden death of a 22-year-old while playing football.
The minister also said he wants first aid training to be given in schools.
Justin Tabone collapsed on a football pitch during a match with friends at St Aloysius College Sports Complex on Monday night. First aiders administered CPR for 15 minutes but could not locate a defibrillator (AED).
He died in hospital.
The Malta Resuscitation Council said the device – which gives a high energy electric shock to the heart of someone in cardiac arrest – needs to be accessible to the public and easily located. “For every minute the shock is delayed, the chance of survival decreases by seven per cent,” the council said.
“That is why AEDs were developed to guide a non-trained by-stander to deploy them effectively using voice prompts.”
It recommended that all entities considering installing an AED should do so in a place that is easily accessible and has appropriate signage so it is easy to locate.
All those entities that already have AEDs within their premises should consider moving them to a public space with similar signage.
Grima said he believed it was time to kick off a debate on the issues raised by the council.
“Yes, I do believe that it would not be a bad idea to start a debate on having these devices wherever there is physical activity taking place,” Grima said.
He also said more needed to be done to highlight the importance of first aid.
“First aid and other such basic skills should somehow be incorporated into our education system,” the minister said.
Asked about the idea of having mandatory first aid lessons in schools, he reckoned this would be an important change.
‘A shoulder to Cry on’
Tributes to Tabone continued to be paid yesterday.
His heartbroken sister, Amanda Tabone Mousu, said on Facebook that she had lost a “best friend” and a “shoulder to cry on”.
In the post, accompanied by a number of photos of her brother at different stages of his life, Tabone Mousu described Monday as the worst day of her life.