Former Spurs team doctor calls for support of defibrillator campaign (From Haringey Independent)

Former Spurs team doctor calls for support of defibrillator campaign

4:13pm Friday 25th January 2013 in News By Bruce Thain

The former Spurs team doctor has thrown his weight behind a campaign to install life-saving equipment in public buildings after his son almost died.

Dr Zafar Iqbal, who was the team doctor for Tottenham Hotspur, is pushing for the Government to make it mandatory to have automatic electronic defibrillators (AEDs) present in all schools and public places.

His support for the campaign comes after his three-year-old son, Zacariya, had a cardiac arrest at the family’s Enfield home in December last year while the father was away with his current team Liverpool FC.

Zacariya was born with a heart condition can cause a rhythm abnormality and as a result the family has a defibrillator in the house, which Dr Iqbal’s wife was able to use it to save his life.

He said: “I was abroad at the time at a game with the team and I got the call from my wife telling me he’d had a heart attack.

“I was so worried because we had the game that night, but the team were great and let me travel home.

“The plane journey was horrible because last time I spoke to my wife she said he was drowsy so I was worried something could happen to him while I am on the plane.

“Thankfully when I got to the hospital he was fine. If we didn’t have a defibrillator in the house and the quick actions of my wife there is a high chance he would not have survived.”

Dr Iqbal has given his support to an online petition calling for AEDs to be fitted in schools and public places.

A person’s chance of survival following a cardiac arrest outside a hospital is only five per cent if there is no defibrillator present, but if an AED is nearby and used there is a 50 per cent chance of survival.

He said: “People don’t question there being fire extinguishers being in schools so it shouldn’t be any different with AEDs.

“I would urge everyone to get behind this campaign as having a defib available can really make the difference between life and death.”

The Oliver King Foundation currently has more than 80,000 signatures on the parliament petition website but needs 100,000 in order for the issue to be debated by MPs.

Those who want to sign the petition can do by going to http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/29399