By Fazeena Saleem
Emergency help given to someone suffering from a heart attack or cardiac arrest before the arrival of emergency services is crucially important.
If someone has a cardiac arrest or heart attack, there may be only a few minutes to act before it is too late.
It is important to know what to do ahead of time, as the brain cannot survive more than four to six minutes, according to experts.
Training and frequent practice on resuscitation dummies are essential, to perform CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and artificial respiration (mouth-to-mouth resuscitation) effectively.
As the number of heart attack cases reached around 1,600 last year, the ‘Kulluna for a Healthy Heart’ campaign has opened a temporary polyclinic at the City Center to educate, test and advise people on cardiovascular diseases.
Experts at booths teach people how to give first aid to someone suffering from a heart attack.
“It is very important for people to know how to perform CPR and further use AED (Automated External Defibrillators) as it could save lives,” said Chairman of the Kulluna campaign, Dr Khalid Abdulnoor Saifeldeen.
“We are aiming to educate more and more people about it because of its importance,” said Dr Khalid, who is also the head of Hamad International Training Centre.
Every 10 minutes around 15 people visit the CPR and AED booths of the polyclinic to learn about how to provide first aid.
“It would take eight to 10 minutes for an ambulance to reach the patient, but the brain can’t survive more than four to six minutes,” said Coordinator at Hamad Medical Corporation’s Emergency Medical Service, Omar Safi.
He and his team demonstrate to people how to perform CPR and use AED.
If the person is unconscious and breathing, place him or her in the recovery position, and then call the ambulance services.
But if the patient is unconscious and not breathing, call emergency and tell them about the situation.
Until they arrive CPR should begin immediately if the patient is unresponsive and not breathing normally since even a delay of a minute can risk the patient’s life, explained Safi.
CPR is the combination of chest compressions, to support the heart, and artificial respiration, to support the lungs.
Immediately place the palm hand flat on the patient’s chest just over the lower part of the breast bone and press your hand in a pumping motion once or twice by using the other hand.
Then artificially blow oxygen into the lungs — this has to be done by artificial respiration.
If possible, get someone else to help — one person to perform artificial respiration and another to perform CPR.
“This is not easy, you need more practice, so it’s better for people to get CPR training,” says Safi.
CPR should be continued until the ambulance arrives.
If the pulse returns and breathing begins but the patient remains unconscious, it’s advised to turn them gently onto their side into the recovery position as it could help mucus or vomit get out of the mouth and will not obstruct breathing.
Experts also show people how to use AED, small equipment anyone can use with some training.
“AED is advancement in sudden cardiac arrest response. It’s advisable for common places like shopping malls, hotels to have an AED and someone who knows how to use it,” said Safi.
The temporary polyclinic at the City Centre is operated by the Hamad Medical Corporation, together with ConocoPhillips. About 100 people visit the clinic everyday.
It will be operational until June 28, between 4pm and 10pm everyday with eight dedicated booths — ‘Don’t smoke, Quit Smoking Now,’ ‘Healthy Eating,’ ‘Be Fit,’ ‘Ask the Doctor,’ ‘ECG,’ Echo Room,’ ‘CPR/AED (first aid),’ ‘Ask the Pharmacist’ and ‘Know Your Numbers’ operational with over 50 physicians, nurses and technicians.
People at a risk of developing cardiovascular diseases will be directed to the Primary Health Care Centers for further treatment.
