By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
In a bid to tackle the prevalence cases of cardiac arrest , the FCT Minister of State, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud, has flagged off Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation Centres in the nation’s capital city.
The minister did the flag- off at the occasion of the Bring Back to Life (BBL) programme organised by the Nigeria Cardiac Society.
She noted that the landmark event which aims at training members of the community on actions to be taken in the event that someone nearby has a sudden cardiac arrest and also to install and maintain Public Access Defibrillators (PAD) in all public places with large human traffic.
Mahmoud noted that cardiovascular diseases remain a leading cause of morbidity and mortality globally, stressing that in Nigeria, the statistics are alarming.
The minister stated that the Federal Capital Territory Administration recognizes the urgency of having a CPR centre, as the FCTA is committed to enhancing healthcare infrastructure and community capacity.
She explained that Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) is a lifesaving technique that double or triple survival rates in cardiac arrest cases, adding that every minute counts in responding to cardiac emergencies.
According to her, “empowering communities with CPR skills, we ensure prompt response and increase chances of survival.”
Mahmoud who commended the Nigeria Cardiac Society for its dedication and playing a leading role in this laudable initiative, emphasised that the programme is a testament to effective public-private partnerships which is in line with the renewed hope agenda of the present administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The minister, however, urged community leaders, healthcare professionals, and individuals to join this noble cause of promoting a culture of lifesaving interventions and reduce cardiovascular-related deaths.
“I call on all Nigerians and FCT residents in particular to practice healthy lifestyle measures such as physical exercise, reduction in calorie intake, reduction in salt intake, cessation of cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption, she said.
“These lifestyle measures are cost effective ways of reducing cardiovascular diseases.”
In his response, Chairman of the Bring Back to Life programme, Dr. Akinyemi Aje, stated that about 89 per cent of cases of cardiac arrest occurred outside the hospital, hence the need for the establishment of Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation centres in public places.
Aje, further stressed that very often Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) is done incorrectly by the first responder while others present at the scene would rather record on their devices in order to post on social media than assist in salvaging the life of the victim.
He said, “some first responders such as family members, friends and by-standers at the scene may not even know what to do on such an occasion because they have little or no knowledge of CPR.
“This is why the Nigerian Cardiac Society (NCS), has come up with the BBL project being launched today, with the objective of taking CPR training to the grassroots so that Nigerians will know what to do when confronted with cardiac arrest or sudden cardiac death.
“The “Slump and die” phenomenon has no respect for financial status, age, level of education or occupation. It can occur at any place such as: at home, work place, marketplace, motor park, in the hospital, in the plane, in an executive meeting, in a hotel, in the school, etc.
“Slump and live” is achievable if we all work together to change our orientation. Each of us, including children, must be ready to learn the steps on how to bring back life after slumping by doing CPR, the minister stressed.
