LIFESAVER – THE SCHOOLS CARDIAC REUSCITATION PROGRAMME
LifeSaver is an ambitious programme where school children are taught cardiac compressions to resuscitate people suffering cardiac arrests.
Our underlying theory is that school children are likely to learn and retain better resulting in whole populations being cardiac resuscitation competent over a period of time.
We conducted small pilots in India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. We are now scaling this up and have trained hundreds of school children in India.
We are partnering with Laerdal, Rotary International (India), Guru Nanak College, Chennai, India, and government schools in Tamil Nadu, India.
We are actively looking for supporters, sponsors and donors to scale up this social project of ours.
CPR TRAINING PROGRAMME FOR HIGHER SECONDARY SCHOOLS
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) is a life-saving technique that can be used to revive individuals who experience sudden cardiac arrest. By empowering students with the knowledge and skills to perform CPR, we can significantly reduce mortality rates and create a more resilient community prepared to respond in emergency situations. Project aims to deliver high-impact initiative to train 1,00,000 students in Tamil Nadu’s government schools, equipping them with essential life-saving skills while fostering a culture of preparedness and health awareness.
CPR training for school children in Tamil Nadu
This programme would fully align with Department of School Education, Government of Tamil Nadu mission,
“Our education system focuses not only on imparting subject oriented knowledge to students but also life-oriented skills to equip them to face real life challenges.”
This programme would be the one of key step in providing life saving skills for the future generation and equipping them with necessary knowledge to support in an emergency in community. The program also aligns with the Tamil Nadu National Health Mission’s (NHM) goals of community-based health interventions, emergency preparedness, and capacity building.
Objective of the Project
The objective of this initiative is to provide CPR training to students from 10th, 11th, and 12th standards in Tamil Nadu’s government schools over a period of one year. This initiative aims to train 1 lakh students in life-saving CPR skills, ensuring that a large portion of Tamil Nadu’s youth population is equipped to handle cardiac emergencies. The training will also foster a culture of emergency preparedness within the school environment, extend to local communities, and contribute to long-term health improvements.
Pilot Successes and Scaling Potential
- Trichy Government Schools: In Trichy, nearly 600 students were trained in CPR, through a pilot supported by the Honourable School Education Minister of Tamil Nadu along with the State school education department, Trichy. This pilot demonstrated the importance and support for this life-saving initiative along with the feasibility of delivering with government school infrastructure and received positive feedback from the schools.
- Chennai Alcot School: With support from Rotary, Alcot School in Chennai has successfully implemented the program and now plans to expand it to more schools.
- Guru Nanak College: Initial training (for teachers and students) has been completed at Guru Nanak College, where they have invested in 8 CPR manikins and have set an ambitious goal to train 1,00,000 students over the next three years in a self-sustaining model.
Implementation Strategy
The program will be rolled out in Tamil Nadu’s government schools in collaboration with SHE Consulting. The implementation will involve the following key steps:
- CPR Training for Students:
Students will be trained in CPR using CPR manikins and will learn essential life-saving techniques such as compression depth, rate, and release. - Faculty Training:
Teachers will be trained to become certified instructors, ensuring the program’s sustainability and scalability. - Integration into the Curriculum:
CPR training will be integrated into the school health curriculum for 10th, 11th, and 12th grade students, ensuring ongoing education on emergency response techniques. - Regular Training and Monitoring:
Training will be supported by a robust monitoring and feedback system to ensure quality and effectiveness.
Monitoring and Feedback Mechanisms
To ensure the program’s success, a comprehensive Monitoring and Feedback System will be implemented, consisting of:
- Manual Logging with Geotagged Evidence:
Trainers will manually log student performance, capturing metrics such as compression depth, rate, and technique. Time-stamped, geotagged photos will verify the training sessions. Data will be shared via WhatsApp or email with a project coordinator for review. - Software-Driven Monitoring:
The project will utilize Laerdal’s CPR training software, which will record student performance, provide detailed feedback, and automatically generate reports. This will ensure accountability and provide insights into training effectiveness. - Dedicated Monitoring Personnel:
A dedicated project coordinator will visit schools regularly to track training progress, support trainers, and collect data for periodic reporting.
Expected Outcomes
- Immediate Impact:
- 1 lakh students trained in CPR, with enhanced confidence and life-saving capabilities.
- Teachers trained as CPR instructors, ensuring program continuity.
- Long-Term Impact:
- A culture of emergency preparedness in schools and local communities.
- Reduction in mortality rates from sudden cardiac arrest due to timely intervention by trained students.
- A health-conscious generation equipped to handle medical emergencies in the future.
LIFESAVER PROGRAMME FEEDBACKS – SRILANKA SCHOOL CPR PILOT
LIFESAVER PROGRAMME FEEDBACKS – TRICHY
Feedback from students to honorable minister for school education TN Government – Mr. Anbil Mahesh