RANCHI: In a first-of-its-kind initiative in the country, Ramgarh district of Jharkhand will soon have an army of one lakh volunteers named ‘Aapda Mitra.’ They are trained to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and first aid.
The target was achieved within two months of Deputy Commissioner Faiz-Aq Ahmed Mumtaz taking charge in June this year. CPR is a life-saving technique in emergencies when someone is facing breathing problems or when the heartbeat has stopped due to a heart attack. Performed quickly by trained people, CPR can double or even triple the chances of survival after cardiac arrest.
The administration launched a drive in schools, colleges, panchayats, government offices, and mining areas, which made it possible to reach this mark.
“Ramgarh is about to create history; we will have 1 lakh civilians in the district trained to perform CPR and first aid by next week,” said the Deputy Commissioner.
He added that people are learning CPR and first aid in villages, schools, mines, factories, shops, and offices to achieve the target by August 15. However, due to the sudden demise of ‘Dishom Guru’ Shibu Soren, the date has been extended, and the district is now likely to achieve the one lakh mark by August 20.
Ahmed said that initially, 3,329 certified master trainers were trained by experts and paramedics. The trainers were then deployed to train others in every panchayat as well as in schools, factories, and mines.
Those who received the training praised the initiative, calling it very useful in emergencies.
“After receiving CPR training, I can confidently say I can save someone’s life if I come across such a person in an hour of need,” said a Class 11 student of a government school in Ramgarh.
Rajkumar, a mechanical engineer working at a local steel plant, also said the training will prove to be life-saving in emergencies.
Khushboo Kumari of Patratu said, “Everyone knows that something should be done in case of a heart attack. Now, I have been trained and can save a life in an emergency.”