Baguio residents receive CPR training

Dr. Nanette Rey, PHA national vice president, said the aim of the program is for every family or household to have at least one person who is knowledgeable on performing CPR. (PNA photo)

BAGUIO CITY — Advocating to achieve the goal to be CPR-Ready by 2021, the Philippine Heart Association Baguio-Benguet (PHA-BB) chapter and the Department of Tourism Cordillera (DOT-CAR) conducted the Baguio leg of the program where 967 persons were provided the Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) training on Friday.

Dr. Nanette Rey, PHA national vice president, said the aim of the program is for every family or household to have at least one person who is knowledgeable on performing CPR.

The program was started in 2015 after the incident involving basketball player Samboy Lim. Lim suffered a heart attack while in the middle of a basketball game in Pasig. There was nobody in the vicinity who knew how to to give a first aid CPR. It took about 45 minutes before Lim was given a CPR, after arriving at the hospital, which caused a tremendous damage on the brain of the basketball star.

The incident started the advocacy of the cardiologists which is supported by basketball starts like Alvin Patrimonio, where CPR trainings are done all over the country with the goal of making all Filipinos knowledgeable in performing the life-saving procedure.

Rey said they go around the country and they do not choose specific provinces, barangays and towns where they conduct the training. She assured that any community that is willing to undergo CPR training will be accommodated.

PHA record shows that 80 percent of the incidents of cardiac arrests occur outside hospitals which makes it necessary for Filipinos to learn the proper way of performing Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation to save more lives.

In addition, the program also aims to transform every tourist facility, community and municipality to a CPR-ready zone by equipping anybody with life-saving skills to be able to respond to emergency situations at any time and place.

During the training on Friday at the Notre Dame de Chartres Hospital, Dr. Francis Lavapie, chairman of the PHA Council for CPR program, told participants that Emergency CPR should be done if the heart stops beating, to prevent irreversible brain damage.

The first thing to do is the three “C” – Check for unresponsiveness, Call for help, do CPR. In checking for unresponsiveness, tap or gently shake the victim and check for breathing and pulse. If the victim is unconscious, call for help then do the CPR while waiting for a medical responder to arrive.

Lapavie explained the procedure as participants performed the CPR on a dummy, to allow each of the attendees to actually perform the procedure.

The training was done in four sessions attended by hotel workers, students, mountain tour guides, rescue volunteers, teachers and others from different sectors. (Pamela Mariz Geminiano/PNA)