Delhi, India
The Billion Hearts Beating foundation, a non-profit initiative under the umbrella of the Apollo Foundation, introduced 1,500+ National Cadets Corps (NCC) cadets to the concept of basic life support, on Thursday.
Basic life support (BLS) training enables participants to recognize life-threatening emergencies, important for those committed to public service. It includes recognition of cardiac arrest, heart attack, stroke, and foreign body airway obstruction; and introduces concepts of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and first aid in a variety of situations.
This year is the 10th anniversary of the Billion Hearts Beating Foundation’s association with the NCC for BLS. In 2012 at the launch event, 3,000 cadets participated across 5 states in India.
So far Billion Hearts Beating has trained 18,000+ people in BLS, including police personnel, NCC cadets, and students of the Bharat Scouts & Guides. The organization has also begun to train the staff employed in senior care homes across India in BLS.
The American Heart Association says that immediate CPR can double or triple chances of survival after a cardiac arrest. Most cardiac arrests take place at home (70%) and in public places (18.8%). This makes it all the more important for those without formal medical training to be able to identify an emergency and tackle it effectively.
Upasana Kamineni Konidela, Vice Chairperson CSR, Apollo Hospitals said, “We at Apollo Foundation believe in preventive care, and BLS is that part of emergency medicine that is preventive in nature. It can save lives and also prevent lifelong disability. As a healthcare company that is entering into its 40th year of operation, we are committed to the health of the nation. This is just one way of giving back to the community that has supported us.”
Brig Rohit Nautiyal, Group Commander, NCC Group Headquarters, said, “We at the NCC see BLS training not just as a competency that saves lives, but also as a component of building character, comradeship, and the spirit of service. We are happy that Billion Hearts Beating uses the expertise of the Apollo Hospitals group’s emergency medicine division to teach cadets how to handle situations on ground.”
About Apollo Foundation
Apollo Hospitals strives towards establishing a healthier humanity through its CSR programme and various philanthropic ventures and collaborations. It is steered by founder-chairperson Dr. Prathap C Reddy’s Total Health Cycle philosophy: to screen, diagnose, treat, educate, and empower.
About Billion Hearts Beating
The Billion Hearts Beating Foundation aims to touch a billion lives by serving the most neglected needs of society. With empathy, dignity, and respect as its core values, the organization supports homes for senior living, conducts basic life support workshops, and equips healthcare workers with essentials to save lives.