National cardiac arrest awareness campaign to be launched in Pune on Sept 26

Cardiac arrest is the sudden stopping of the heart, often without warning and every passing minute reduces the chance of survival by 7- 10 per cent. “It strikes without warning. But revival is possible… With collective effort, we can build a nation where sudden cardiac arrest does not mean certain death,” Dr Goyal added.

For the past four years, the Revive Heart Foundation (RHF) has been leading the National Cardiac Arrest Awareness Campaign, led by Dr Kinjal Goyal, training citizens across the country in CPR. This year, the campaign launches nationally from Pune at Symbiosis Vishwa Bhavan in association with Rotary Lakshmi Road on September 26.

“The RHF’s aim is bold but urgent: to ensure that every Indian above 15 years of age knows CPR. Schools, colleges, workplaces, and communities must treat CPR training as essential as learning to read or ride a bicycle,” Dr Goyal said.

Dr Sathe also observed that globally, communities that are trained in bystander CPR have seen survival rates soar. “In Seattle, over 60 per cent of victims survive because ordinary citizens know what to do. In India, that number is tragically less than 1 per cent. It is time we take action, starting at the school level. CPR education as part of the curriculum from Classes 8, 9 and 10 and continuing through college will equip students with life-saving skills. Making CPR training a part of basic education is not just an option, it is a necessity,” Dr Sathe urged.

“If every individual over 15 years of age knows CPR, we can save more lives than have sudden deaths,” Dr Goyal added. Founded by Dr. Yash Lokhandwala and Dr. Manju Sinha, RHF now works with over 100 cardiologists and anesthesiologists nationwide. “Till date RHF has trained over 15 lakh people across the country,” Dr Goyal said.

The campaign’s focus is not just on CPR but also on making AED (Automated External Defibrillator) machines publicly accessible. These portable shock devices are installed in airports and malls in many countries, but in India they are still rare. The Revive CPR App, freely available on iOS and Android, not only teaches step-by-step CPR but also shows the location of the nearest AED.