NATIONAL : This Wednesday, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya stressed the need to raise awareness among people about the importance of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training to provide immediate help in case of cardiac arrest and save lives.

He launched a nation-wide public awareness programme by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences on CPR training in which more than 20 lakh people participated. Along with Ministers of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar and SP Singh Baghel, Mandaviya received training in CPR technique.

Commending the initiative for providing training to the public regarding cardiac arrest, Dr Mandaviya stated, “It is vital that we maintain good heart health and adopt a holistic approach towards health incorporating balanced diet and exercise. However, in proximity to someone suffering from cardiac arrest, if one is trained in CPR technique, it will enable us to save lives. It is a very commendable effort, and I congratulate it.”

It is the first CPR awareness program in the country that has been conducted on a national level. During this campaign, participants, including students, professionals, and paramedical staff were given training in a single sitting through an online medium.

According to the latest data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), deaths due to cardiac arrests saw a 12.5 percent rise, from 28,413 in 2021 to 32,457 in 2022. The NCRB data also put the figure of sudden deaths at 56,450 for 2022, up from 50,734 in 2021.