Hyderabad: AIG hospitals train 1,000 Heart Marshals

The Heart Marshals were trained on mannequins to perform CPR (Cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and using an AED (Automated External Defibrillator).

Hyderabad: In a novel initiative, AIG Hospitals conducted Basic Life Support (BLS) training for over 1,000 ‘Heart Marshals’ that included security guards from different housing societies and police personnel. The training demonstrated how emergency action can be taken by these Heart Marshals when they come across people suffering from Sudden Cardiac Arrest till proper medical assistance is provided.

The Heart Marshals were trained on mannequins to perform CPR (Cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and using an AED (Automated External Defibrillator). The first phase of the training program was conducted inside AIG Hospitals since the beginning of September and concluded on World Heart Day on Wednesday with a felicitation ceremony for these Heart Marshals. The AIG Hospital intends to extend similar training to 10,000 persons in the next six months.

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Speaking on the occasion, AIG Hospitals chairman Dr D Nageshwar Reddy pointed out that clinical experience showed that the number of sudden cardiac deaths was increasing rapidly in society. “There is a dire need to conduct basic life support training to as many people as possible because the best person to save one’s life in case of a cardiac arrest is the one standing next,” he said, adding that in the first phase, security personnel from different housing societies were trained since these are the people who are available 24 hours a day within the premises and can immediately attend to any such emergency.

Dr. C Narasimhan, Senior Cardiologist and Head of Electrophysiology, said: “With strong scientific evidence, we can say that every minute’s delay in giving CPR increases the chance of death by 10 per cent. Starting CPR immediately increases the survival chance,and the patient can be stabilized before medical assistance arrives.”

Dr. Rajeev Menon, Clinical Director, Cardiology, said there were a wide range of symptoms that one shouldn’t ignore at all which includes, chest pain, breathlessness, palpitation, swelling of feet, extreme fatigue or weakness, fainting, and even not so common symptoms like vomiting, nausea, bloating.

A total of 15 housing societies and five tech parks participated in this AIG Heart Marshals program in the first phase.

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