Support builds for Good Samaritan Legislation in Manitoba

Yesterday, I was visited by Sheila McIntosh, Jackie Zalnasky and Debbie Brown from the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Manitoba (see photo above). They came to see me about the Good Samaritan legislation which we have introduced.

They are supporters of the legislation. They see that it is needed to encourage Manitobans to provide assistance in an emergency situation, to increase the survival rate of Manitobans and to improve the outcomes in emergencies. At the present time there is no legislation in the province of Manitoba which explicitly or implicitly addresses liability for persons voluntarily lending aid in good faith in emergencies including First Aid, Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Automated External Defibrillation (AED).

Indeed it is the understanding of the importance of defibrillation as a key link in the Chain of Survival when a person has a sudden cardiac arrest and the development of automated external defibrillation devices that now makes having Good Samaritan legislation all the more important.

It is expected that AED will be used more and more, and the Good Samaritan Act protection is needed for volunteers who use these devices in times of sudden cardiac arrest.

The Manitoba Automated External Defibrillation Guideline Committee consisting of representatives from Manitoba Health Emergency Workplace Safety and Health, Canadian Red Cross, St. John Ambulance, Life Saving Society, Canadian Ski Patrol and private CPR, AED and First Aid training agencies supports Good Samaritan legislation for Manitoba.