Basic Life Support Knowledge is essential for all of us. Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation or CPR saves lives of persons having a sudden cardiac arrest. Find out more about the campaign on CPR awareness in India.
Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) is a subject that is not widely understood in India. Most of the time it is considered as Heart Attack and the immediate action taken is to rush the victim to hospital but by then, it is may be too late. Instead, if ‘Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation’ (CPR) was given to the victim at the site itself where the victim collapsed and was continued thereafter until reaching hospital, a fair chance existed for the victim to survive.
Related Reading: First Aid For Cardiac Arrest
The ‘CPR Saves Life’ campaign has multiple goals. First of all, to raise awareness about the important role that CPR and ‘Automated External Defibrillator’ (AED) can play to save SCA victims. Secondly, the campaign encourages people to get trained in ‘Basic Life Support’ (BLS) so that when calamity strikes, they are ready and able to carry out CPR and use AED (if one is available nearby). Generally, the BLS training is of a day’s duration and includes conducting
CPR on mannequins as well as the usage of AEDs. Details of organisations providing BLS training in cities of India has been provided on www.CPRsavesLIFE.in.
Even those who are unable to attend BLS training, must have the basic knowledge of CPR. To impart a basic knowledge to such people, the portal has described the CPR procedure in great detail. In addition, the portal has demonstration videos.
The campaign also focuses on the role of AEDs. Information is provided on public locations where AEDs have been installed in India, so that should a need arise in the vicinity, the first responders can quickly access the AEDs and use the same to restart the heart by giving a shock.
People are also encouraged to donate AEDs for public places or in their residential colonies etc.
This is a viable option since unit cost of AEDs is low.
