The Vélez-Málaga City Council has tendered a new leasing contract for DESA defibrillators for €203,280, increasing the municipal network from 60 to 70 devices and incorporating twelve new locations.
The Vélez-Málaga City Council has initiated the tender for a new contract for the supply, through leasing, of 70 semi-automatic external defibrillators (DESA), once the previous agreement, signed in 2019, has expired. The investment amounts to €203,280 for a period of four years, representing a 16.7% increase in the number of available devices compared to the previous contract, which had 60 units.
A more extensive network with new locations
The new contract will allow for the expansion of cardioprotection coverage to twelve new municipal facilities, including the Casa Baco Tourist Office, the Urban Planning building, the Drug Dependency and Infrastructure Centre, the Social Affairs buildings of Vélez-Málaga and Torre del Mar, the Early Childhood Care Centre (CAIT), the Almayate Deputy Mayor's Office, the House of Music, the Lope de Vega Theatre, Mercovélez, and the Historic Centre Office. With this expansion, the City Council aims for more municipal spaces to be prepared to act in the event of a cardiac arrest, as explained by the mayor, Jesús Lupiáñez.
The mayor highlighted that the monthly unit price per defibrillator remains at €50 (€35 for supply and €15 for maintenance), the same as in 2019, so the budget increase is solely due to the service expansion and not to a rise in costs. "We continue to invest in safety, prevention, and health protection. Each defibrillator we incorporate represents one more opportunity to act quickly in the event of a cardiac arrest and increase the chances of survival until health services arrive," Lupiáñez stated.
Training and maintenance, key to the service
The Councillor for Occupational Risk Prevention emphasized that the contract not only guarantees the supply of the equipment but also its installation, preventive and corrective maintenance, material replenishment, and certified training for municipal staff. "These are fundamental aspects to ensure that the defibrillators can be used with all guarantees when an emergency requires it," the councillor pointed out. Furthermore, the specifications include improvements such as the holding of annual awareness days, certified DESA training courses above the minimum required, and the provision of cardioprotection services at events organized by the City Council.
The municipal cardioprotection network, which until now had 60 defibrillators, has been consolidated since 2019, the year the previous contract was awarded. With the new tender, the City Council not only renews obsolete equipment but also reinforces its commitment to prevention and safety, reaching more public buildings. Residents of Vélez-Málaga and Torre del Mar, as well as those in the Almayate district, will see their social, cultural, and administrative centres equipped with these devices, which can make the difference between life and death in the event of a cardiac arrest.
The deadline for submitting bids from interested companies is now open, and the new contract is expected to come into effect in the coming months, following the completion of the awarding process. Meanwhile, the current equipment remains operational, ensuring coverage until the new installations are in place.
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