Around 30 traffic policemen were trained to administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) — a lifesaving technique useful in many emergencies including a heart attack.

As part of World Heart Day, the doctors of Vikram Hospital here on Wednesday explained the policemen about the basics, to whom to and when to administer the CPR.

Dr Harshitha Sridhar, head of medical services and emergency department at the hospital, said even those personnel who knew about the CPR did not know how to do it.

The CPR is an important procedure used to revive a person who has suffered a cardiac arrest the doctor said and added that the important thing was that it should be done in a correct way. Dr Somesh Mittal, CEO of the hospital, said it was important for all policemen to learn the CPR, which can be a lifesaver in emergencies.

Ischemic heart diseases

More than one-third (37%) of deaths in people above the age of 40 in the state can be attributed to cardiovascular diseases.Dr Ganeshakrishnan T Iyer, CTVS surgeon, said the ischemic heart diseases account for the largest fraction of cardiovascular diseases.

It is caused due to poor lifestyle and high incidence of risk factors like hypertension, use of tobacco, diabetes, obesity, physical inactivity and lipid abnormalities, Iyer added.