Bystander CPR training should be compulsory in school

4th October, 2013: The Government of India should make bystander cardiology pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) 10 training mandatory in elementary schools.  CPR training should also be mandatory when getting a driving licence.

Padma Shri and Dr. B.C. Roy National Awardee, Dr KK Aggarwal, President Heart Care Foundation of India said that the forthcoming 20th MTNL Perfect Health Mela being organized from 23rd to 27th October, 2013 in Constitution Club of India will have special training camps for school children. The Mela is being organized by Heart Care Foundation of India in association with various departments of Central and Delhi Government, LIC, Central Bank of India, GAIL, and Coca Cola.

Quoting a Denmark initiative published in October issue in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Dr. Aggarwal said that with the initiatives taken by the Denmark Government, the percentage of out of hospital cardiac arrest that involved bystander CPR more than doubled from 21.1% to 44.9% over a 10-year period. Following that trend there was a significant improvement in survival at 30 days and at one year.  When the bystander CPR rate is less than 21%, the 30-day survival rates are below 6%.

Dr. Aggarwal said that ever since CPR 10 programme has been initiated in Delhi by Heart Care Foundation of India, the number of survivals by the bystander has increased. We are getting success stories, which is a good trend, he further added.

About HCFI : The only National Not for profit NGO, on whose mega community health education events, Govt. of India has released two National commemorative stamps and one cancellation stamp, and who has conducted one to one training on” Hands only CPR” of 63400 people since 1^st November 2012.

The CPR 10 Mantra is – “within 10 minutes of death, earlier the better; at least for the next 10minutes, longer the better; compress the centre of the chest of the dead person continuously and effectively with a speed of 10x10 i.e. 100 per minute.”