Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) public awareness program in Lucknow gets a major impetus today

The Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) public awareness program in Lucknow got a major impetus todayby the installation of an External Defibrillator (AED) or shock machine at the CSI residential Towers, Gomti Nagar, making it perhaps the first residential building in the city to do so.Present at the occasion were Prof Aditya Kapoor, Head of Cardiology at SGPGI, Shri Mukesh Meshram, Principal Secretary Tourism & Culture, Govt of UP and Secretary of the RWA Association of CSI Towers, Shri Narendra Bhooshan, Principal Secretary PWD, Govt. of UP, Shri Pankaj Kumar, MD UP Power Corp and other senior IAS officers and their families.

Shri Narendra Bhooshan applauded the initiative taken by the ICICI bank under the leadership of Mr Abhishek to help in the required logistics through their CSR program. He also highlighted the fact that with increasing number of cardiac arrests happening, people need to be educated about it.

Prof Aditya Kapoor said that Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) is a devastating event and can happen to anyone, anytime and anywhere. It is the abrupt loss of heart function that usually results from a sudden electrical disturbance in the heart rhythm called ventricular fibrillation. This disrupts the pumping action of the heart, stopping blood flow to the vital organs of the body and ultimately leads to death. Every year nearly 2 Million persons in our country die suddenly at home or at public places due to SCA

Although SCA victims CAN BE SAVED by bystanders, such victims do not survive due to minimal public awareness and knowledge on how to handle such emergencies and perform cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

He reiterated that members of the public need to know how to perform CPR, so that IF and WHEN the moment arrives to save a victim of cardiac arrest, no one is found wanting. Apart from learning CPR, people should also be familiar with the use of AED or shock machines. These machines should be installed in all places with high public footfall like major residential complexes, shopping malls, offices, gyms etc. so that more lives can be saved.

He complimented the proactive Resident Welfare association of CSI Towers who under the leadership of Shri Hemant Rao, Vice Chairman, CSI Towers Welfare Committee and Add. Chief Secretary, Govt. of UP and Mukesh Meshram IAS Principal Secy Tourism with inspiration and support of Ajay Chauhan IAS Secretary PWD have taken the much needed decision of having an AED installed in their building. This will make more like minded people to come forward to spread CPR awareness throughout the city and encourage AED installations.