Basic Life support Training

How did we spend our Sunday? Well, as part of community service today, we organised a basic life support workshop to spread awareness and, at the same time, teach the right skills and empower bystanders, who are the most important in case of a medical emergency.

"The Lancet", a renowned international journal founded way back in 1823, Lancet formed a Commission on Sudden Cardiac Death, Just a couple of months back and presented their findings( India).

In India, it is estimated that about 5-6 lakh people die every year due to sudden cardiac death (SCD), and a good proportion of them are under the age of 50.? Worldwide, the rate of survival among the general population post a sudden cardiac arrest is around 10%, and 90% will succumb. But in India, it is very alarming and disturbing the Survival rate is much lower, only 1-2%.

I think the Bystanders and laymen play the most crucial role. Unfortunately, we don’t seem to do enough to spread awareness.

During our sea career, we surely did Medical first aid courses and advanced medical courses, But how many of us did it seriously? Most of us just went through the motions, end of the day, we answered a very basic MCQ exam and we got the certificates, the same thing is ashore as well most individuals do the first aid course as it is a requirement for a job, it’s a requirement to join an establishment again main focus is certification. And when real emergencies arise, most are a bit lost or don’t do the right thing.

I do agree this is done now in some schools and is part of a curriculum; hopefully, with the New education policy being implemented, the government will understand the importance of Basic life support and incorporate life skills like this.

In the interactive workshop yesterday, we had teachers, students, Iron Man athletes, runners and swimmers, people from the IT industry and others doing regular desk jobs, a fantastic mix.?

It was a very interactive session and the participants were explained the concepts of CPR, the use of the Automated external defibrillator, what to do in case of choking, bleeding, Cramps and a lot more. After the theory part, demonstrations were carried out followed by practical’s

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