There are more and more young people with heart disease, who are at risk of cardiac arrest. As a form of prevention, Sarajevo is getting a network of defibrillators in public places. Two such devices were installed in Vogošća today. So far, 18 of the planned 50 external defibrillators have been installed in the Sarajevo area.
External automatic defibrillators have been installed in the Municipality of Vogošća. One is installed in the Municipality building, and the other in the “Amel Bečković” Sports Hall. In order to operate this device, citizens will have the opportunity to undergo certain training.
“What I will tell citizens is that the devices are completely safe, that anyone can use them. What is important is that you take the adhesives on the patient, stick them on the person and listen to what the device tells you. It guides you through the resuscitation process the entire time until the ambulance arrives,” said Jasna Husejinbegović-Musić, director of the Emergency Medical Assistance Institute of the Sarajevo Canton.
Automated external defibrillators are a key factor in saving lives in sudden cardiac arrest, and their availability can significantly increase the chances of survival.
“These are the moments when we act preventively and that is what we need to do before an accident happens,” says the Mayor of Vogošća Municipality, Migdad Hasanović.
The defibrillators are a donation from the Emirates Red Crescent and the Public Institution of the Sarajevo Canton Emergency Medical Service.
“We are not working on this project only with the Municipality of Vogošća, but in cooperation with the Cantonal Emergency Medical Service. We are working in nine municipalities in the Sarajevo Canton area,” explained Mahmed Ali, General Director of the Red Crescent Office in BiH.
It is also planned to organize Basic Life Support training for a certain number of users, which will be conducted by the Emergency Medical Service Education Center, in order to train citizens in the basics of resuscitation and the proper use of defibrillators. The activation of a special application for mapping AED devices will begin soon, as well as a broader campaign to educate and inform the population about the importance of using these devices.
