TACLOBAN CITY – Some 1,616 participants took part in the Nationwide Hands-only CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) Awareness Campaign at the Tacloban City Convention on July 16, organized by the city government of Tacloban through Mayor Cristina G. Romualdez and the Philippine Heart Association, Inc. (PHA) composed of cardiologists in the region.
City government workers and barangay residents attended the half-day event which imparted life-saving techniques.
Present during the activity to impart their expertise were the staff of the Office of Civil Defense, Tacloban City Rescue Unit (TACRU) and other volunteer medical groups.
PHA Eastern Visayas chapter president Dr. Ma. Belen Balagapo said the event is part of the advocacy to teach basic life support skills to lay people.
“CPR is no longer limited to medical practitioners…because 70% of cardiac arrests happen at home and usually, the first responders are relatives or bystander,” said Balagapo.
A quick lecture and demo on “hands-only” CPR and the use of Automatic External Defibrillators (AED) for heart attack victims highlighted the awareness campaign.
Hands-only or modified CPR do not involve mouth to mouth breathing but requires doing proper and effective cardiac compression–basic skills needed to save a life.
PHA is also advocating the use in public places and business establishments of AEDs – an electronic device which can diagnose irregular heartbeat.
AED is an essential part of the CPR Chain and can increase survival of heart attack victims
The local government of Tacloban has also already made AEDs available at the Tacloban City Rescue Unit and the Tacloban City Hall. It is currently in the process of securing additional units for other areas in the city.
Meantime, the mass CPR campaign is rooted in Republic Act 10781 or “The Basic Life Support Training in Schools Act” which mandates the teaching of CPR in schools and the grassroots level.
Special projects for health head, Dr. Gloria Fabrigas said that free mass CPR training is done yearly in Tacloban in partnership with PHA to reach as many Taclobanons as possible and help save lives.
In a similar activity last year the PHA in partnership with the City Government trained 1,270 in Tacloban.
(HENRY JAMES ROCA/CIO)
