Cops to be first responders if you suffer a heart attack

Mumbai Police believes having the AED in police stations will help save lives that could have been lost due to delay in providing emergency care.

Police stations between Bandra and Andheri have been equipped with automated external defibrillators (AED), which means they can now be first responders in case of heart attacks.

Police stations between Bandra and Andheri have been equipped with automated external defibrillators (AED), which means they can now be first responders in case of heart attacks. (HT photo/Vijayanand Gupta) (HT Photo)

The AED are part of a pilot project that will see policemen being trained in emergency care.

The AED is a portable device that delivers an electric shock through the chest to reinstate the regular heartbeat in a patient.

It is easy to operate and requires little training, making it an effective gadget for first responders.

Additional Commissioner of Police (West), Manoj Kumar Sharma, said, “We have given the machine to multiple police stations in the region. The motive is to save lives. In a case of emergency, if a call is made on 100 or if a patrolling party notices a citizen collapsing, the first measure to be taken is to use the machine to revive him. Our personnel are trained to use it now.”

Police stations at Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), Bandra, Juhu, Santacruz, DN Nagar, Khar and Sakinaka have been equipped with the AED and officials at these stations have been trained to use the AED and to administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

“The machines have been provided to these police stations as part of a pilot project. We will monitor the success of the project and then decide to expand it to all police stations across the city,” said a senior police officer. The initiative is expected to be particularly useful for areas like Juhu Beach, Carter Road and Bandstand, where people engage in activities like running and yoga.

Dr Nikesh Jain, consultant cardiologist at Jaslok Hospital and KJ Somaiya Hospital said, “It is a good step that has been taken. The AED helps in getting the right rhythm of the heart so that blood can be circulated to the brain before it is too late. If the brain does not receive blood then the situation can worsen before the patient is taken to a hospital. Right use of AED at the right time can certainly save a lot of lives.”

Mumbai Police believes having the AED in police stations will help save lives that could have been lost due to delay in providing emergency care.