Singapore – Back for its 7^th edition, the annual Project Heart initiative by the Singapore Heart Foundation saw about 1,000 participants come together, to be empowered with the essential knowledge to perform quality cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and to operate the automated external defibrillator (AED) safely. Held at the Singapore EXPO Convention & Exhibition Centre, the event was graced by Guest of Honour Ms Sun Xueling, Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs & Ministry of National Development, MP for Pasir Ris–Punggol GRC, who launched the Restart A Heart (RAH) Programme.

With the theme, “Power to Save A Life”, this year’s event offered two different types of learning approaches for CPR and AED training. Participants could either learn how to restart a heart through the simplified CPR and AED training (RAH Programme) or undergo the three-hour CPR and AED certification course. 

Led by certified instructors from SHF, participants were coached and guided on the standard protocols to observe when performing CPR and using the AED machine. This included how to determine unresponsiveness of the victim, as well as how and when to activate emergency medical services. Participants who successfully complete the certification course in the afternoon were awarded with a CPR and AED certification that is valid for 2 years.

About 2,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCA) occur annually, and only four in 10 OHCA receive bystander CPR before the paramedics arrive. Furthermore, every minute of delay in resuscitation will lower the victim’s chance of survival by 7% to 10%. To improve the OHCA survival rate, SHF’s annual Project Heart aims to raise awareness on this issue, by educating and equipping more Singaporeans with life-saving skills.

Dr Chee Tek Siong, Organising Chairman of Project Heart 2018 shared, “With statistics indicating that approximately 7 out of 10 cardiac arrest cases occur in residential areas, we need to actively galvanise Singaporeans to pick up these life-saving skills so that we can potentially increase the chances of survival for victims who suffer from cardiac arrest out of the hospital. Through the annual Project Heart, we hope to give Singaporeans the confidence to respond to cardiac emergencies which can happen anytime, anywhere. Together, we can build a responsive community, supporting each other at every step of the way.”

SHF launches RAH Programme

During the session, SHF launched its new initiative, the RAH Programme, which is a simplified, non-certification training to raise awareness on OHCA, where participants learn simple steps on how to respond during cardiac emergencies. This simulation-based training focuses on hands-only CPR and the use of an AED. To enhance the learning experience, training is conducted using an illuminating manikin which provides real time feedback on how to achieve good quality CPR.