It happens in an instant: a man slumps in a crowded bus, clutching his chest. Panic ripples through the passengers, none of whom knows how to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Amidst shouts of “Water!” and “Fan him” his life slips away.
Scenes like this unfold across Nigeria every day—at workplaces, football fields, churches and homes—where survival hinges on what bystanders do in the first crucial moments.
At a recent gathering in Sagamu, Tope Osundara, National President of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), painted a sobering picture: countless Nigerians who lose their lives during cardiac arrests owing to the widespread absence of CPR knowledge.
It was against this backdrop that NARD, in collaboration with the Damilola Adebola Cardiovascular Foundation, launched a nationwide training on basic and advanced cardiac life support.
This flag-off, held at Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, set in motion a vision to train at least 20,000 people, including healthcare workers, paramilitary officers and other citizens, so they can confidently respond in emergencies before patients make it to hospitals.
Building on existing efforts
Across the country, sparks of innovation have already been addressing the knowledge gap in emergency response. Some hospitals and medical foundations, like Christian Health Association of Nigeria, have been integrating CPR demonstrations into public health campaigns, teaching church congregations, schoolchildren and even market associations.
This has proven effective in places like Lagos, where Red Cross volunteers frequently conduct CPR workshops in public parks, drawing curious onlookers who leave having gathered lifesaving knowledge.
The Sagamu training builds on this momentum by focusing not only on doctors and nurses but also on first responders who are most likely to encounter emergencies on the roads, in public gatherings or during disasters. This wider net ensures that CPR knowledge is not confined to hospitals but diffused into the society where it is most urgently needed.
Learning from global models
The initiative also reflects a growing global recognition that emergency care must start at the grassroots.
In Ghana, for instance, nationwide CPR training campaigns in schools sponsored by the United Nations (UN) have drastically improved the chances of survival for cardiac patients.
Nigeria’s approach, as championed by NARD and OOUTH, mirrors such models by ensuring that beneficiaries are trained to cascade the knowledge further into their communities. It is a strategy of multiplication where every trained participant becomes a potential trainer, carrying the message beyond medical facilities to the streets, homes and offices.
By embedding this knowledge into the daily life of ordinary Nigerians, the training has the potential to transform what is now a culture of helplessness in emergencies into one of proactive action.
The need for tools
Knowledge alone is not enough. As Damilola Ademola, founder of the Cardiovascular Foundation, highlighted, the availability of basic tools such as defibrillators, face shields and CPR mannequins is critical to sustaining the effort.
Without these, even the best-trained responders may find themselves powerless in an emergency. Here lies an opportunity for both state governments and private investors to step in. Just as Lagos got equipped with Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs), others could scale up this model by installing lifesaving devices in schools, airports, stadiums and malls.
Philanthropic foundations and corporate social responsibility arms of companies could also adopt communities, sponsoring both training and equipment provision. Such partnerships would ensure that the energy from training does not dissipate but finds practical expression.
What emerges from the Sagamu training is a narrative of collective problem-solving. It shows that Nigerian doctors are not waiting for perfect systems but are mobilising to fill urgent gaps, More important, it demonstrates that healthcare solutions can come not only from policymakers but also from professional associations, foundations, and the public.
From empowering a paramilitary officer on the street to giving a market woman the confidence to act during an emergency, these efforts point to a future where survival rates during cardiac arrests are no longer dictated by luck but by knowledge.
In the end, the real measure of this initiative will not just be the 20,000 people trained but the countless lives saved when ordinary Nigerians step forward with the courage and skill to keep a heart beating until professional help arrives.
Summary not available at this time.
