The emergency medical service for customers was launched on October 31 in collaboration with Phuket International Hospital (Siriroj Hospital), which opened a Medical Bay on the third floor of the mall on the same day.
Central Festival Phuket has acquired three of the portable defibrillators manufactured by Philips at a cost of B300,000 – 500,000 each, as well as arranging for staff to receive intensive first aid training from hospital medical personnel.
Central Festival Phuket General Manager Ms Wilaiporn Pitimanaree pioneered the project to be able to rapidly respond with vital first aid in the event a customer suffers cardiac arrest in the store, adding that the cost of the AEDs was worth every baht if it helped save lives.
“Being able to rapidly respond to medical emergencies means we could help prevent fatalities caused by delays. Having defibrillators strategically located in the mall gives heart attack victims a high chance of survival by allowing us to provide essential first aid before paramedics arrive on the scene,” said Ms Wilaiporn.
“We are grateful to Phuket International Hospital for providing professional first aid training to Central Festival staff on how to use the AEDs as well as organising a series of drills ahead of the launch of this essential service to our customers,” she said.
Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusust attended the opening event and praised Central Festival Phuket for being the first mall in Thailand to provide the life-saving services.
“As a world-class tourist destination, public safety is a priority. It is important that visitors come here with the peace of mind that we do our best to ensure their well being and that we have the ability to respond effectively to emergency situations,” said Governor Maitri.
Medical personnel from Phuket International Hospital are on standby at the Medical Bay located on the third floor of Central Festival Phuket (next to the food court) during opening hours of the mall. As well as providing support for emergencies, hospital out patients can also visit the bay for check ups and other non-emergency medical services.