IRC pitches for training ASHA workers on CPR

Indian Resuscitation Council (IRC) Chairman Dr SSC Chakrarao recently said that the ASHA workers need to be given Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training as they are one of the primary Social Health Activists in the heart of rural India.

"There is minimal reach of CPR training in rural areas. But Covid-19 pandemic area, in Telangana, health workers did very good service is basic life support. Now we have to come to ASHA workers for CPR training (in rural areas). One ASHA is available for every 1000 persons. ASHA should be trained, not only identify pregnant women but should be given training for CPR also, then only we can reach the interior of villages," Dr Chakrarao told BizzBuzz.

"There are around 80,000 medical students who are trained CPR into first month of their admission. In Andhra Pradesh, it is mandatory for all house surgeons to complete this CPR course. This provision was mandate four years ago. Previously they (doctors) used to go to the university and take the training one by one, college to college. Now we have made every medical college a CPR training centre. They have their own instructors and equipments," he said.

IRC is now focusing on spreading the word on importance of CPR via online session for mass awareness, along with creating WhatsApp groups. Dr Chakrarao said that though a mass awareness on CPR training can be created virtually, the training regarding the same needs to be done only in person.

International CPR Day, observed in July 27th since 2019, focuses on creating mass awareness on CPR skill training, a lifesaving emergency technique, which is performed on a patient experiencing sudden cardiac arrest. The emergency procedure combines chest compressions i.e., a person presses up and down on the casualty's chest in an effort to ensure blood circulation and breathing in a person who is in cardiac arrest.

Dr Chakrarao said that States such as Andhra Pradesh and Telangana are leading in CPR training due to the consistent efforts of mass awareness on the lifesaving skill training. IRC has prepared its own training course on CPR for medical students, trained professionals and general public in 10 different regional languages.

IRC, at present, is focusing on training layman on CPR skills and introducing them to different locations as professional CPR trainers.

"Our aim is making every citizen a lifesaver. We have 1.38 billion population and every year 10 percent will be dying and 11 percent will be added to population. Our teaching and training (on CPR) should go on. Similar to vaccination, CPR trainings, too, needs to be popularised within general population," Dr Chakrarao added.

According to the IRC Chairman, as of 2021, there are no indigenous companies which manufacture CPR training devices in the country.

IRC Public Relations officer Aditya Kumar has told BizzBuzz that in 2019, over 7,00,000 people were given CPR skill training in a single day. However, due to the onset of Covid, the training programmes have significantly reduced since the trainings are conducted in person.

"Even in our ancient scripts it is written that there is nothing greater than gift of life. Training in CPR can be lifesaving. IRC believes that every Indian can be turned into a lifesaver," Kumar said.