Manipal Hospitals Paints Bengaluru with Red Hearts on Traffic Signals & Empowers Guardians of the Hearts to Make the City a Heart Smart City

- 40 dedicated Traffic Police Officers, 200 Bangalore City Police (CAR South), and 50 bikers learned CPR training and received SOS QR code stickers from Manipal Hospitals

BENGALURU, India, Oct. 13, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Manipal Hospitals embarked on a journey to transform Bangalore into a heart-smart city, with their pioneering initiative of turning the city's red traffic signals into heart-shaped symbols, accompanied by informative QR code boards and CPR training programs that could be crucial in emergencies. Witnessing major signals of Bengaluru in red-heart-shaped lights created curiosity among the public, with influencers and citizens alike taking to social media to share about the same. This newfound awareness spurred the public to join hands to become the guardians of the heart by learning the crucial life-saving skill of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and utilizing the SOS QR Code which will allow them to give quick medical assistance in emergency situations.

Under the initiative of Guardian of the Heart 2.0, Manipal Hospitals proposed the Govt. of Karnataka to make CPR training mandatory across educational and civic bodies. As part of the initiative, the emergency SOS QR code and CPR education program was launched by Dr. G Parameshwara, Home Minister, Karnataka, Mr. Dinesh Gundu Rao, Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Karnataka, and Dr. H. Sudarshan Ballal, Chairman - Manipal Hospitals on World Heart Day 2023.

Joining hands with the government, Bengaluru City Traffic Police, the heads of Bangalore Apartment Federation (BAF), Auto Rikshaw Drivers' Union, Ola-Uber Drivers' and Owners' Association, Karnataka State Auto and Taxi Federation, Traffic Wardens, Principals and Heads from various schools and colleges, Corporate Offices, and Cycling Clubs among others came forward to learn CPR to be able to help people during emergency until the medical support arrives.

With the red-heart-shaped traffic signals already taking over the city last year, touching the hearts of the Bengalureans, this year Manipal Hospitals extended its aim to create awareness about emergency responses by installing 40+ heart-shaped traffic signals across Bengaluru and launching an SOS QR code that can detect the location of an accident victim without much human interaction.

Manipal Hospitals assured that this initiative would not be limited to their hospitals and that accident victims would be transferred to the nearest hospitals during emergencies, utilizing their own fleet of ambulances, various tie-ups, or 108 services.

Working alongside Manipal Hospitals, the honourable ministers applauded the initiatives and expressed their confidence that the initiatives would undoubtedly save lives and strengthen our community's resilience. Dr. G Parameshwara, Hon'ble Home Minister of Karnataka, assured that he will take the initiative forward to the Ministry of Education, and very shortly implement mandatory CPR training across primary and secondary schools and higher education; and also implement CPR training at all the Police Training Academies across Karnataka.

Mr. Dinesh Gundu Rao, Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Karnataka, emphasized initiatives such as the SOS QR code can change the face of medical response to emergency responses and since Bengaluru is the tech hub of India, there is high scope for such initiatives to witness immense success. He said the government is pleased to join hands with Manipal Hospitals in their SOS QR code initiative by collaborating 108 ambulance services with Manipal Ambulance Response Services (MARS).

Dr. H. Sudarshan Ballal, Chairman - Manipal Hospitals mentioned, "The Guardian of the Heart 2.0 is focused on not only to help spread awareness of heart health but also get immediate medical assistance during emergencies. As human beings, people tend to panic whenever there is an unfortunate event demanding urgent medical help. With the launch of the SOS QR code, we are aiming to ensure that help is just a scan away. I thank our honourable ministers for taking this initiative further with the initiation of CPR training in all educational institutions and inclusion of 108 services along with Manipal's ambulances."

All the representatives of various associations appreciated and pledged to take the initiatives far and wide by arranging CPR training and displaying the SOS QR code on the apartment complexes, school and college buses, vans and premises, corporate office premises and office cabs, private vehicles, autos and taxis, and construction sites.

M. N. Anucheth, IPS, Joint Commissioner of Police, Traffic, Bengaluru City mentioned the importance of traffic lights turning into hearts to encourage people to wait patiently until the signal turns green, emphasizing the need for patience and responsible behaviour at traffic signals.

He stated, "All prominent signals can carry this QR code that helps in facilitating the ambulance to pick up in kind of any mishap that can happen on the road." Mr. Anucheth further urged Manipal Hospitals to expand this QR code initiative to other prominent signals in Bangalore that can help all other parts of Bangalore during emergencies.

As of today, around 40 dedicated traffic police officers and 200 Bangalore City Police – City Armed Reserve (CAR South) were trained in CPR and received SOS QR code stickers for easy access to medical assistance during emergencies. 50 bike riders from various motorcycle clubs also came forward last Sunday to learn CPR in their effort to transform Bengaluru into a Heart Smart City.

For more information, please visit https://www.manipalhospitals.com

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