Manilva checks life-saving defibrillators as residents encouraged to learn where to find a life-saving AED is

Manilva is revising and updating its network of life-saving defibrillators after several devices have already been used in cardiac emergencies.

Regular inspections are being carried out on the town’s DESA units, the Spanish equivalent of an AED (automated external defibrillator), with equipment being checked, inventoried and kept ready for use.

The latest review follows reports that the devices have been used on several occasions, particularly by Manilva’s Local Police. One police car in the area carries a defibrillator, which has already been used to provide first assistance to someone suffering a cardiac arrest.

Why knowing your nearest AED matters

A cardiac arrest can happen without warning, leaving only minutes in which CPR and defibrillation can make a difference. Junta de Andalucia guidance says survival chances can fall by around 10 per cent for every minute that passes without action. AEDs are designed to be used outside hospitals and can guide the user through the process, making them particularly valuable before an ambulance arrives.

Manilva’s health services have been checking equipment and trained personnel as part of a wider inventory of defibrillators installed throughout the area. Equipment at schools CEIP Pablo Picasso and IES Las Viñas was among that checked and updated in 2025. Local sports facilities also have defibrillators, including Pabellon Las Viñas in Manilva and the Ciudad Deportiva de Sabinillas.

These should be regarded as facility-based AEDs, meaning access may depend on opening hours rather than being available around the clock.

Where can you find an AED in Manilva?

Based on the information currently available for 2025/26, residents and visitors should check these locations:

• Pabellon Las Viñas, Manilva – AED at the municipal sports complex.
• Ciudad Deportiva de Sabinillas – AED at the sports complex.
• CEIP Pablo Picasso, Manilva – AED within the school.
• IES Las Viñas, Manilva – AED within the secondary school.
• Manilva Local Police patrol vehicle – mobile AED carried by officers and available through an emergency response.
• Puerto de la Duquesa – an AED has also been identified within the marina network, although public access arrangements should be confirmed locally.

Punta Chullera, Torre Dieguichi, plus the beach medical modules at Sabinillas and La Duquesa, were equipped with AEDs under an earlier beach-service contract. Their continued availability and opening arrangements for 2026 should be confirmed before relying on them.

Important: Manilva has been carrying out an inventory, but a complete public-facing 2025/26 map of every AED has not been published online. Consequently, the list above should not be regarded as an exhaustive register or confirmation that every location is accessible 24 hours a day. Check out the story of Gerry Hannam to see how he and other residents took things into their own hands rather than waiting for the local council to act.

In a suspected cardiac arrest, call 112 immediately and tell the operator where you are. Andalucia’s emergency service operates 24 hours a day and can coordinate medical, police and other emergency resources.