During Teh Tarik sessions and discussions we talked about the prices of AED. Most people find the price of AED is too expensive to own. There are even people looking for AED with the budget of RM700-RM1200 which is quite impossible. The nearest model to that price range are the AED trainers.
Why AEDs are so expensive?
The hard fact for the expensive price of AEDs is currency exchange. Our purchasing power is lower when compared to western countries such as USA & the UK. When the price is converted to Ringgit, immediately we have tachycardia.
"Nah, AED is just a piece of chipset with transistors and batteries. They don't cost that much. The sellers are choking the end-user for their money".
Video: Inside of an AED https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VRjvAP2O60
Yes, I agree that it's a chipset with batteries. Yes, it don't cost that much superficially. But how about the cost of technology behind the chipset? Safety? Research? Certification? After sales support? All these cost money. Bet you don't dare to use an AED coming straight out of a radio factory without proper certification right? We are paying for all that.
We're hoping that AED will be cheaper in the future so that it is affordable by common people and benefit from it. For now, shopping for an AED (In Malaysia) is still expensive, unless you hold the value of "lives above money".
Hope our wish come true. RM300 for an AED, maybe?