Leadership by example: Dzulkefly performing a CPR after the inauguration of the Malaysia Community First Responder Conference in George Town. — Bernama
Act will allow people to save others without fear of legal repercussion
GEORGE TOWN: The Health Ministry is looking to introduce the Good Samaritan Law, a legal protection that encourages people to assist others in emergencies without fear of legal consequences, such as being sued for unintentional harm caused during the act of assistance.
Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said the Act must be put in place, thus he would raise the matter at the post-Cabinet meeting next week.
“How this is going to come and when this is going to come about, we will have to wait but more importantly, we will make a decision that it will be implemented (like) what other countries have done.
“This Good Samaritan Law must be put in place at least within this 15th Parliament Session. We have three years more,” he told reporters after launching the inaugural Malaysia Community First Responder Conference here yesterday, Bernama reported.
He said many countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and certain Asian nations, have implemented the law and Malaysia would benchmark with them.
In Malaysia, there is currently no specific Good Samaritan Law at the national level, however, the concept has been discussed and debated as part of the broader conversation around public health and emergency response.
The introduction of such a law will align with Malaysia’s broader goals of enhancing emergency response systems and improving survival rates for incidents like sudden cardiac arrest (SCA).
Dzulkefly also said Malaysia’s survival rate for SCA is tragically low, with less than 1% of victims surviving if no action is taken.
“For every minute that passes without intervention, the chances of survival drop by 10%. The need for trained Community First Responders has never been more pressing and our goal is simple, to empower every citizen with the knowledge and confidence to act in an emergency,” he said.
The minister said the automated external defibrillators (AED) are life-saving devices that can significantly increase survival rates for SCA victims because 70% of SCAs happen outside of hospitals, where the time between collapse and defibrillation is crucial.
He said every AED installed in public spaces provides victims a second chance at survival, adding that Penang has demonstrated remarkable progress in becoming a “heartsafe state” due to its strategic placement of AEDs across the state.
Dzulkefly noted that to date, about 80,000 to 100,000 lay rescuers have been trained in Penang and over 1,000 units of AEDs installed in the state, of which about 300 are public access AEDs.
He said the ministry would discuss with the Education Ministry to expand the existing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training modules in schools to ensure Malaysia produces a whole generation of people capable of providing CPR during emergencies.
Meanwhile, the Health Ministry is awaiting reports from all relevant parties, both within and outside the MOH, of a probe regarding allegations that a private hospital withheld the remains of a baby due to the parents’ failure to pay the hospital bill.
Dzulkefly said the report from the Private Medical Practice Control Section is expected to be completed next week.
“This case is quite unique in terms of its background and circumstances, so let us wait for the proper findings and investigation to ensure fairness.
“We certainly sympathise with the family,” he said.
The incident went viral on social media when a private hospital in Selangor was accused of holding the remains of a baby boy for 16 days in the morgue because the father had not paid the hospital bill.
In response, the private hospital denied the allegations last Wednesday, saying that it had allowed the baby’s remains to be buried before the settlement of the hospital bill.
