(MENAFN- The Peninsula)
By Fazeena Saleem
DOHA: As a kind of first aid to help those who get a cardiac arrest public health authorities aim to teach thousands of people across the country the simple Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) technique on Friday.
It will be a novel national awareness campaign about this life-saving measure. Called CPR it is an emergency procedure performed on a person who has had heart attack as a life-saving measure until proper medical care is provided to him.
The first of its kind campaign in the region was launched on Sunday under the patronage of H E Abdullah bin Khalid Al Qahtani Minister of Public Health by Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) in collaboration with the Supreme Council Of Health (SCH).
The awareness drive will host a series of demonstrations and will be held by Hamad International Training Centre (HITC) of HMC at public places such as the Doha Corniche Katara and several shopping malls.
CPR is a basic life support technique that can be used if someone’s breathing and heart suddenly stop. Research shows starting CPR immediately can at least double a person’s chances of survival say public health officials.
Dr Khalid Abdulnoor Saifeldeen Director of HITC said that in Qatar only 10 percent of patients with a Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) receive CPR.
“Around 60 percent of sudden cardiac arrests in Qatar happen at home and others in public places. Instant CPR can double a person’s chances of survival and for every minute without it there is a reduction in the chances of survival of around 10 percent. Many people don’t realise that CPR is a simple technique that they can learn quickly and use it if they need to” he said addressing a press conference held to explain the campaign.
“Even children can learn the two steps of CPR done with hands and it can help in saving lives of elders at home” he added.
On the Corniche alone 50 stations will be set up along the waterfront to demonstrate and teach the technique of hands-only CPR on Friday between 4pm and 6pm. Also a similar demonstration will be held at the Cultural Village Katara.
CPR demonstrations will also be held at the City Centre Mall Landmark Mall The Gate Mall and the Gulf Mall on Friday and Saturday between 3pm and 9pm.
More than 250 volunteers will be involved and 400 CPR mannequins will be used in the demonstrations to help the public learn CPR.
Internationally the average age for cardiac arrest is mid-60s but in Qatar it is around 50 years said Dr Saifeldeen.
“Our aim is to get the CPR training mandatory for employees of government and private organizations and also teach school children how to do it” he said.
In Qatar 22 percent of Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) victims are known to been diagnosed with coronary heart disease 23 percent with hypertension and 21.5 with diabetes.
However a large number of SCA victims are likely to have undiagnosed risk factors.
Videos about HMC’s CPR campaign at can be viewed (in Arabic) on https://youtu.be/2O5OV6jio_g and (English) https://youtu.be/YCxY1-Fnok8.
To book an appointment for formal training in CPR one can email: .
The Peninsula