SINGAPORE: If you have 30 minutes, you could potentially save a life.
The Singapore Heart Foundation feels more heart attack victims can be
saved if more people learnt simple cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)
skills.
Sudden Cardiac Death is a emotional event because the victim dies without much warning.
But by "Knowing Your Risk", which is the theme of this year's 37th
annual Heart Fair, adjustments can be made to lifestyle habits to
maintain a healthy heart lifestyle. The fair is held in conjunction
with World Heart Day.
The Singapore Heart Foundation hopes to improve Singapore's out of
hospital heart attack survival rate with the launch of an easy-to-use
CPR training kit.
Out of a 100 patients who suffer sudden cardiac arrest outside a
hospital, only two to three will survive. This may be due to Asians'
reluctance to stop and help or simply ignorance.
The CPR3A kit hopes to change it all. It comes complete with a dummy
mini doll. With it, laymen should be able to master basic CPR
techniques in 30 minutes.
Dr Poh Kian Keong, Organising Chairman of National Heart Week,
said: "We first start off with the students because we think they can
learn rapidly, and using the multiplier effect, the students can teach
their families and those around them."
Professor V. Anantharaman, Chairman of the Heart Safe Committee at the
Singapore Heart Foundation, said: "One need not be afraid of doing it.
In Singapore, we say if anyone can do it better, then we can do it. We
can also have the best survival rate."
For every minute that CPR is not administered, a heart attack victim's chance of survival drops by 10 per cent.
So armed with such training, the Singapore Heart Foundation hopes
more will be able to perform CPR anytime, anywhere. - CNA/de