DOH-10 campaigns for community resiliency via CPR in Camiguin

CAMIGUIN - To support community health resilience building, the Department of Health Center for Health Development Northern Mindanao (DOH-CHDNM) emphasized the need for at least one member of every family to learn Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR).

Dr. David A. Mendoza, OIC assistant regional director of DOH CHDNM, said CPR can save a life. "Pananglitan naa ta nakita nga tao, natumba, wala ka ginhawa, kinahanglan the maximum golden hour, within 10 minutes dapat naka-perform na ka og CPR, because the shorter the time mahurot ang hangin saiyang utok, the better ang iyang survival rate," he said.

Learning and mastering CPR in the local government is one of DOH’s fulfilments of its vision – “Health Disaster Safety in the Hands of the Community”, also known as the 5Ks or "Kaligtasang pang-Kalusugan sa Kalamidad sa Kamay ng Komunidad."

Dr. Debra Urbina, President, Philippine Heart Association Northwestern Mindanao, said cases of sudden cardiac arrest for females are usually 55 years old, while males are 45 years old, but this time it is different. Today, cases of sudden cardiac arrest are already penetrating younger individuals, and this is caused by an unhealthy lifestyle, she said.

"Ang most common risk factors sa cardiac arrest is unhealthy diet, lack of exercise, ang uban is bisyo, sigarilyo, ang uban kusog muinom, ang uban pud is hereditary o kaliwat sa pamilya," Dr. Urbina said.

That is why the local government of Mambajao here has created Ordinance 2023-005, also known as “Ligtas ang May Alam na Mambajaonon”, which requires every family to have at least one member know how to do CPR.

Lawyer Robert Jones Closas, vice mayor of Mambajao, shared the vision of not wasting a life because of a lack of basic knowledge. "At least 95–99% sa tanang pamilya sa Mambajao, trained gyud sa CPR," he said. (Jasper Marie Rucat)