By: Aditya Ahuja
The first brainstorming consultation meeting to promote the school Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) program in India was held at AIIMS, New Delhi. Experts recommended creating a comprehensive policy framework at the national and state levels to include CPR training in the school curriculum.
AIIMS, supported by ICMR, conducted a study under Dr. Sanjeev Bhoi, involving 4,500 students from 15 Delhi schools over three years. The study showed significant improvement in CPR knowledge and skills among students and teachers. Students from the 6th standard onwards absorbed the knowledge well, while 11th and 12th graders performed the skills better due to muscle strength. Body mass index was also considered during training.
The study supports the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which emphasizes skill-based learning. AIIMS and the WHO Collaborating Centre for Emergency and Trauma Care (WHO CCET) suggested integrating CPR training into physical education and the examination system.
Many European countries promote bystander CPR, with 50% of heart attack victims receiving it. In India, the rate is 0-10%. Immediate CPR can significantly reduce fatalities from cardiac arrests. AIIMS emphasized the importance of promoting CPR training in schools to spread life-saving skills within the community.
The meeting included Dr. Vinod Paul, Member NITI Aayog, Prof. Dinesh Parsad Saklani, Director of NCERT, Dr. M Srinivas, Director of AIIMS, Dr. K Madan Gopal, Advisor of NHSRC, Dr. Gowri Sengupta, DDG of CHEB, and Dr. Patanjali Dev Nayar, Former WHO/SEARO, who all supported the initiative. They emphasized the urgent need for a school CPR program and encouraged the preparation of a dissemination plan across India.
The meeting aimed to share the Indian research report on school CPR, develop a national policy framework, and plan for nationwide dissemination.