HYDERABAD: A traffic home guard’s alertness and his skills in performing CPR by adopting “chest thumping” technique has given a new lease of life to a middle-aged man, who collapsed on road after suffering a cardiac arrest.Initiative of the Hyderabad Traffic Police (HTP) to train all home guards and constables in providing emergency medical care like Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) proved fruitful on Wednesday as home guard K Chandan Singh attached to Bahadurpura traffic police station, saved a man from dying of cardiac arrest on the road near Purana Pul darwaza.
The video of Singh saving the man lying on road, by thumping his chest vigorously and the man slowly moving his hands, was shared by Facebook page of HTP in the evening, which garnered over 18,000 views in the first two hours. The video was downloaded and widely shared on social media. Speaking to Express, Singh said: “I was on duty near Purana Pul darwaza when I saw a man who was taking a U-turn suddenly falling down. Seeing that I ran towards him and saw that he was completely immobile. I checked his pulse and understood that his heart had stopped beating.
I started vigorously compressing his chest. It took a lot of energy and I was panting while compressing chest. After a few moments he moved his hand and I heaved a sigh of relief. I was happy that I could save a life. All the while my colleague, Inayathulla Khan, also a home guard, manned the traffic and ensured that not too many people gather around.”
Singh further said, “The man said that he will go home but called his home and informed his wife about the incident. She and their son arrived and took him away. In 2013, when I joined duty, I was given training in CPR at Traffic Training Institute along with other medical emergency measures.”
A Srinivas, Inspector of Bahadurpura traffic PS said, “Home guards and constables are regularly trained in medical emergencies and are told how they play an important role when such incidents occur.”
AV Ranganath, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic-2) said, “Earlier too there have been such incidents of home guards or constables saving lives of several persons. Whenever such an incident occurs, the home guard or constable would be the first to reach the spot first. They were all trained in providing first aid and emergency care,’’ the DCP said.