Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We’re almost at the end of it, but February is Heart Month and, unfortunately, every 26 minutes a Canadian suffers a sudden cardiac arrest. It happens without warning, to anyone, anywhere, killing more Canadians each year than car accidents, diabetes and breast and prostate cancer combined. Without help, sudden cardiac arrest victims have just minutes to live. Each minute that passes decreases their chance of survival by nearly 10 percent. It’s scary that the majority of people killed by sudden cardiac arrest have no history of heart disease.
Eighty-five percent of all cardiac arrests occur in homes or public spaces, public spaces like hockey rinks, community centres and Legislatures. The single most important factor in survival from sudden cardiac arrest may be early defibrillation therapy.
According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation, the early use of a defibrillator along with CPR, before the arrival of emergency services, can increase the chance of survival by up to 75 percent. An automated external defibrillator, AED, is an electronic device used to restart a person’s heart. It’s safe, easy to use, it’s small enough that it can be installed at locations in any community and it can be operated effectively by the lay public. If we have defibrillators installed in public spaces with people trained and confident to use them, thousands of Canadian lives can be saved every year.
Research states that in order to be effective, AEDs should be within 100 metres of the scene of a cardiac arrest so a bystander is able to retrieve it and return within three minutes, but currently there are no national guidelines on AEDs, nor is there a central registry of devices. Regulations and policies vary greatly across the country. Perhaps the best situation is in Manitoba where legislation regarding AEDs was recently enacted. As of January 2014, all public places in Manitoba that are listed in the regulations of the act will be required, by law, to have an AED on site, places such as community centres, golf courses, schools, airports, city hall, the law courts and the Legislative Assembly.
The NWT would be well advised to follow Manitoba’s lead. Legislation would enable increased community capacity to respond to sudden cardiac arrest.
I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
NWT legislation would provide clear protection from liability, would designate the public places where AEDs must be made available, and ensure that AEDs are registered and properly maintained so they’re ready for use when they’re needed. By setting in place protocols for distributing and maintaining these lifesaving tools, we can protect NWT residents from loss of life. We could be on the leading edge of health care for our residents.
I will have questions for the Minister at the appropriate time.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.
