A mega CPR training drive in Surat

The best help a person can give someone suffering from a sudden cardiac arrest is administer CPR. Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) can bring back the heartbeat and help save valuable lives. It is important for every individual to be trained in CPR, says Dr Prashant Kariya who leads Project Sanjivani, a mass CPR training programme being conducted by RC Surat Riverside, RID 3060.

SCA (sudden cardiac arrest) can happen to anyone. A seemingly fit player can collapse mid-match in a field or a dancer’s electrifying performance can come to a screeching halt as she suffers an SCA and crumples on the floor. “Ninety five percent of those who experience SCA die because they do not receive lifesaving support within the ‘golden’ 4 to 6 minutes,” he says. SCA causes stoppage of circulation of blood to various organs of the body. The cessation of blood supply, and hence oxygen and other nutritional substances to the brain, result in unresponsiveness.

CPR is the only lifesaving technique available to maintain the blood flow to brain and heart till advance help is available. The earlier CPR is provided, better the chance of survival. Every minute delay in CPR will decrease the victim’s chance of survival by 17 percent,” says Kariya.

RC Surat Riverside initiated Project Sanjivani in 2017 to train people in CPR so that they can be life savers in emergencies. “In the last six years we have done 500 sessions and trained almost two lakh people including students, teachers, professionals, police officers, nurses and even students of schools for the physically disabled,” he says.

Kariya and his team of 13 doctors carry out these workshops to teach people to identify an SCA situation, provide chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to maintain blood flow to the vital organs. The training sessions also include mastering the use of defibrillators and delivering shock treatment.