Shawdesh Desk;

Eminent Cardiologist Professor Dr. Abdul Wadud Chowdhury said that it is possible to reduce the death rate of cardiac arrest patients significantly through raising awareness and Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training.

Dr. Wadud Chowdhury, Head of Cardiology Department of Dhaka Medical College Hospital and Chairman of IPDI Foundation,  said this while speaking at the CPR training workshop for members of Economic Reporters’ Forum (ERF) on Tuesday.

In the developed world there is emphasis on CPR training among people but CRP awareness is very low in Bangladesh, he said adding a voluntary organization of cardiologists “HELO-IPDI Foundation” has been organizing nationwide training workshops on CPR to raise awareness among people.

He emphasized on the role of journalists, electronic and print media in reducing the mortality rate of cardiac arrest patients through CPR training.

According to global statistics, about 1.80 crore people were die from heart diseases every year. A major part of that is cardiac arrest patients. Research found that the death rate of patients suffering from cardiac arrest is more than 90 percent.

Through CPR or Cardiopulmonary resuscitation, it is possible to reduce the death rate among patients with cardiac arrest to a large extent, cardiologists  said.

In Bangladesh there is no CPR facility in the whole country except in a few hospitals in the capital, they said.

CPR has not been developed due to lack of trained manpower and public awareness. At the same time, many are not interested in providing CPR support, because of the fear that the service provider will face legal trouble, if the patient given CPR dies, they said.

ERF President Sharmeen Rinvy, associate professor of National Heart Institute Dr. Mohsin Ahmed, associate consultant of Cardiology Department of Evercare Hospital Asif Zaman Tushar, among others, spoke aat  the workshop, held at ERF Auditorium in Paltan Tower. ERF general secretary SM Rashidul Islam moderated the programme.