Safety on the Gozo Channel ferries is under scrutiny. It is not the first time that a passenger collapsed on a ferry while crossing the channel.

I am assuming that the company is abiding by the Work Place (First Aid) Regulations, 2002 and has trained a number of its employees as "first aiders" and keeps a number of first aid boxes around the ferries. This is not enough, as first and foremost these regulations are intended to set the minimum requirements in the provision of first aid both in case an employee is ill or injured and I assume also in case a passenger is taken ill or injured.

Any first aider, no matter how much training he/she received, is limited in what he/she can do with their bare hands until proper medical help is obtained. In an event of a cardiac arrest even CPR administered by the first aider or even a doctor may be useless.

Today there are available small devices which are simple to use at a cardiac arrest scene by practically any lay person who happened first on the scene in an emergency provided that such a device is readily available on the spot. These small practical and simple to use defibrillators can make the lifesaving difference for victims of cardiac arrest.

With minimal training all the crew of the Gozo Channel ferries can be thought to handle these devices. According to the website: "At Gozo Channel, safety is our highest priority. We meet or exceed all industry standards, from vessel design and operation to crew training and emergency equipment".

In my opinion a small portable defibrillator is nowadays a basic emergency equipment even though the STCW Mandatory requirements don't specify this.

I am sure that Gozo Channel has the safety of its clients and workers at heart and above all, human life is invaluable.