Chennai June 2024: Meridian Hospital, a 300-bedded Multi-Super Specialty Hospital known for its comprehensive and multi-faceted approach to healthcare, organised a crucial public awareness and training session, “Let Us BEAT the HEART”. This initiative aims to raise awareness and equip the community with essential Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) skills.

The event, held during the morning hours of Sunday at Elliot’s Beach, Besant Nagar, was presided over by Prof. Dr. Ashok Thiagarajan, CEO of Meridian Hospital.

Around 100 participants actively engaged in the session, gaining valuable knowledge and hands-on experience in performing CPR. The program was led by Dr. Sanjeev Kumar, Medical Superintendent, Aswani Latha, Cardiologist and Dr Jananee, Emergency physician of Meridian Hospital, along with their dedicated medical team, who provided a comprehensive and interactive CPR training session.

Meridian Hospital’s medical team demonstrated to the general public, morning walkers, elderly people, police personnel, auto rickshaw drivers, and others how to perform CPR and potentially save lives during a heart attack.

As part of Meridian Hospital’s commitment to saving precious human lives, this event was organized to coincide with World Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) Day, observed globally during this period. This initiative underscores the hospital’s dedication to enhancing public health and safety through education and proactive healthcare measures.

CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) is an emergency lifesaving procedure performed when the heart stops beating. Early CPR can double or triple the chances of survival after cardiac arrest. Unfortunately, awareness and training in CPR among the general public in India remain critically low, with studies indicating that less than 2% of the population is trained in this life-saving technique. This underscores the urgent need for widespread CPR education and training.

The human life during such sudden heart attacks can be saved through a simple first aid and lifesaving activity called CPR.