Union Minister Bharati Pravin Pawar on CPR Training

New Delhi: Union Minister Bharati Pravin Pawar on Wednesday said there is a need for a large number of CPR-trained laypersons as they are the first responders in a medical emergency, and stressed that basic life-saving skills must be known to everyone.

The minister of state for health also inaugurated a Comprehensive Resuscitation Training Centre (CRTC) at the Vardhman Mahavir Medical College (VMMC) and Safdarjung Hospital, a health ministry statement said.

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The first batch to be trained in life-saving skills (LSS) at the centre has been oriented, it said.

Training of all healthcare providers in saving lives of patients in the event of an emergency is a continuous process and ideally everyone working in any hospital must not only learn these life-saving skills but also periodically get updated in these skills, Pawar said.

"These life-saving skills shall be tailored to the needs of recipients and must be easy to acquire so that doctors, nurses and paramedical staff can be trained accordingly," she said.

Basic life-saving skills must be known to all healthcare workers because prompt and appropriate action can save a life, the minister said. "Creating public awareness and providing training to the general population, particularly to the youth, can be instrumental in providing immediate help to a victim who has suffered," she said.

"Adequate and timely intervention by bystanders can save the life of a patient whose heart may have stopped beating, as every minute counts," Pawar said.

She said simple procedures like chest compressions at an adequate rate and depth can be taught to anyone and these can help a patient and improve his or her chances of survival if continued till medical help is available. Pawar said that availability of a large number of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) trained laypersons is the need of the hour as they are the first responders in the event of a medical emergency, the statement stated.

She emphasized that empathy and compassionate care are also cornerstones of the treatment offered to a patient.

It is the core responsibility of a healthcare provider and of every member of the care team, she said.

"Patients spend a significant portion of their time interacting with the nurses, medical assistants, and receptionists. These interactions can provide many opportunities for demonstrating compassion and empathy toward patients," Pawar said. Therefore, training, encouraging, and ensuring support staff to engage in compassionate, empathetic patient care will significantly influence a patient's overall experience, she said.

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