Dr. Azhar MahmoodKayani a Renowned Cardiologist Maj-Gen (retd) on Sunday stressed to raise public awareness at grass-roots level about the importance of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to save lives in emergencies such as heart attacks, drowning or choking and provide life-saving care.
In an interview with a state-run television channel, he clarified why public CPR education is crucial. In cases of cardiac arrest, every second counts, and performing CPR quickly before rescue personnel get on the scene can increase a victim’s chances of survival by two or even three times. He added that learning these skills is crucial because, in addition to cardiac arrest being the greatest cause of death, many cardiac arrests occur outside of hospitals, at home, at work, or somewhere else. Hands-only CPR can save lives in these situations.
To perform hands-only CPR, the person should continue pushing hard and fast in the centre of the chest 100 to 120 times per minute until help arrives, he mentioned. Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are one of the common causes of deaths in winters, he said, adding, out of the hospital, Cardiac arrest is a major cardiovascular event which requires public awareness. “We need to talk about sudden cardiac arrests and understand that if we all learn CPR, we will be able to save a precious life,” he mentioned. “it is vital that we maintain good heart health and adopt a holistic approach towards health incorp rating balanced diet and exercise however, in the proximity of someone suffering from cardiac arrest, if one is trained in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation technique, it will enable us to save lives”, he added.
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According to him, medical facilities should work together to promote public safety and improve everyone’s readiness for life-threatening emergencies by offering extensive CPR training. He emphasized, “We firmly believe that prevention is better than cure, and we are encouraging our citizens to adopt healthier habits and make wellness a way of life through various awareness campaigns and health education programs.”