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Medical workers demonstrate using an automated external defibrillator during a news conference in Shaoxing on Sept 9. [Photo/zjol.com.cn]

Shaoxing in East China's Zhejiang province has installed over 394 automated external defibrillators, or AEDs, in public places around the city, the municipal government announced at a news conference on Sept 9.

According to the conference, the city will set up another 100 AEDS in 2021. By then, there will be 1.13 AEDs to every 10,000 residents, making Shaoxing the first Zhejiang city to meet the provincial government's target of one AED per 10,000 people by 2030.

The use of AEDs can effectively increase the survival rate of cardiac arrest victims. But more training is required to improve the public's ability to use these AEDs in emergency scenarios, according to the Red Cross Society of China. 

To achieve higher levels of proficiency, the society has promoted the use of a bundle, which includes the AEDs, first aid kits and an instructional video.

As of August 2021, Shaoxing has popularized the use of AED to over 2 million people, or 44.81 percent of its total population.