Life Saved in Seconds: Kerala CPR Case Shows Urgent Need for Public Training

Kerala, India; September 24, 2025 - A three-month-old baby from Kozhikode district in Kerala stopped breathing late on a Friday evening. His father, a Civil Defence volunteer, performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and rescued him. The incident highlights how crucial CPR skills can be in emergencies, especially where professional medical help may take time to reach.

What Happened in Kozhikode

The baby, named Siyan, suddenly stopped breathing. His father, Ligith, who has volunteer training with Civil Defence, responded immediately. He first tried shaking the child gently, then placed the baby on his knee and used chest compressions.

He also delivered “mouth-to-mouth” resuscitation. After three cycles of these actions, Siyan resumed breathing. The child was then taken to a private hospital and later to the government cooperative hospital in Vadakara for further care.

CPR Awareness in India: What Do the Figures Show?

Multiple recent studies and reports show very low awareness and practice of CPR among the general public in India:

• A study reported that only 1.3% to 9.8% of people who witness out-of-hospital cardiac arrests perform bystander CPR.

• The India Today Impact Feature (2023) estimated that only about 2% of the Indian population knows how to perform CPR. This estimate is far below global standards. ¹

• A recent study among non-medical staff (ambulance drivers, security personnel, attendants) in one region noted significant improvement in knowledge after structured compression-only CPR (COLS) training but also confirmed that baseline knowledge was very low. ³

Government & Institutional Efforts to Bridge the Gap

Recognizing the gap, India’s government and medical agencies have launched programs:

• The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, through the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS), conducted a nation-wide CPR Awareness Program in 2023. Over 2 million (20 lakh) people took part in training during that campaign. ⁴

• The World Restart a Heart Day initiative, in partnership between All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and the American Heart Association, aims to spread Hands-Only CPR training. In 2022, over 150,000 people were trained in multiple states. ⁵

• Local state-level programs have also organised CPR and first-aid training for non-medical individuals such as Rapido bike-taxi captains, school students, and community members. These efforts seek to increase the number of first responders outside hospital settings.

Why CPR Matters

• Cardiac arrest outside hospitals is common. In India, many deaths from sudden cardiac events happen before professional medical help can reach the victim. Immediate CPR can help maintain blood flow to the brain and other vital organs until advanced care arrives. Delays of just a few minutes can lead to permanent brain damage.

• Survival rates improve substantially when bystanders initiate CPR. Hands-only CPR (compression-only) is easier to learn and may be more acceptable to laypersons in emergency situations. Training in this method has shown measurable gains in knowledge and willingness to act.

What More Can Be Done

• Expand train-the-trainer models, especially in rural areas, to reach more people with hands-only CPR training.

• Integrate CPR and first-aid training into school curricula, workplaces, community centres.

• More frequent campaigns during days of national health observance (e.g. World Restart a Heart Day).

• Use media, social platforms, mobile apps to share correct, easy-to-follow training materials.

• Ensure access to quality mannequins or models for practice, and regular refresher courses.

Conclusion

India still faces a large gap in awareness, with only about 2% of people knowing CPR and bystander CPR rates under 10%. Government programmes and non-profit initiatives are underway to improve this, but scaling training, maintaining skills, and ensuring swift community response remain essential. In emergencies, every minute counts and ordinary people trained in CPR can make the difference between life and death.

References:

1. Outcomes of Out of Hospital Sudden Cardiac Arrest in India, PMC, 2023. (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

2. R. Ezhilarasi et al. “Knowledge on cardiopulmonary resuscitation among rural …” PMC, 2025. (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

3. Press Information Bureau (PIB), Government of India. “Nation-wide public awareness program on CPR by NBEMS.” December 6, 2023. (pib.gov.in)

4. “CPR education spans India for World Restart a Heart Day.” American Heart Association & AIIMS, 2022. (heart.org)

(Rh/Eth/TL/MSM)