Forty-Day-Program On Life Saving Techniques For Delhi Police To Handle Emergencies

Over 250 Delhi Police personnel were trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), a key life saving technique useful in emergencies such as cardiac arrest or a near drowning situation.

According to a member of Indian Medical Association, about 8,000 PCR van staff will be trained during the 40-day program. The workshop is meant for policemen because they are the first to reach the site of a mishap. It involves training the cops in handling common conditions like choking, drowning, and fracture, among others.

Police chief B S Bassi said, "There is an acute shortage of ambulances in the city. There is also the delay factor. These make it extremely necessary for the policemen-the first ones to reach an accident spot-to be aware of the basic first aid that can be provided to the victim."

Medical experts say that, when a person's heart stops beating suddenly due to a shock, it is not a heart attack but a cardiac arrest. A cardiac arrest occurs when the electrical conducting system of the heart fails and the heart begins to beat irregularly or very fast. Soon after, the heartbeats stop, so does the blood flow to the brain. As a result, the person becomes unconscious and stops breathing. In such a situation, the victim can be saved within 10 minutes.

Experts say it is possible because the brain remains alive during this period even when the heart and respiratory system stop. In medical terms, this situation is called clinical death. If people wait for ambulance and do not act within these 10 minutes, the victim may die.

A. M Pillai, National president of IMA, said the first 10 minutes after the trauma are critical because there is a possibility of the person's recovery in that time period. "Around 4,000 people die on road every year and no one does anything to save them. CPR is the basic first aid that can be applied to save lives and everyone should know how to do it," he added.

Source: Medindia