Marking CPR and AED Awareness Week, to be observed from June 1 to June 7, Life Savers League — a health education initiative promoting vital student habits such as exercise, adequate sleep and hands-only CPR — is being spearheaded by Amritsar-based Dr Juppan Sandhu and Ludhiana-based youth leader Neerav Bansal.
The initiative is also raising funds for heart health education and research.
Life Savers League is a community-driven CPR and emergency response awareness initiative of the OTT Foundation, which conducts inclusive awareness camps aimed at equipping the youth, educators, parents, workplaces and communities with essential lifesaving skills through practical training and emergency preparedness sessions.
On Monday, a workshop was held at Doon Public School, Amritsar, in collaboration with the ‘Each One Save One’ initiative, led by Dr Raman Chatrath, an advocate for CPR awareness and emergency response training.
With sudden cardiac arrests increasingly affecting younger people in India, organisers said basic CPR training had become a critical lifesaving skill.
“Immediate hands-only CPR can significantly improve survival chances by sustaining blood flow to the brain and vital organs until professional medical help arrives,” Dr Sandhu said.
The campaign is being conducted as an inclusive outreach drive across government schools, private institutions and community-based educational settings, ensuring lifesaving awareness reaches young people across diverse social and economic backgrounds. Programmes in this regard have been conducted at Government Senior Secondary School, Naushera (Majitha Road), and Majha Public School, Tarn Taran. These included interactive awareness sessions and CPR demonstrations.
Hundreds of students actively participated in training exercises focused on chest compression techniques. Dr Sandhu, director of operations at OTT Foundation, has been actively involved in community-driven health and awareness initiatives focused on youth engagement and preventive healthcare.
Neerav Bansal, a Class XI student at The Doon School, Dehradun, has been associated with grassroots social impact and healthcare outreach initiatives, particularly in the field of paediatric cardiac awareness and community mobilisation.
In Amritsar, Dr Shivika Aggarwal, Dr Jasleen Saini and Dr Sukhman Gill serve as CPR training partners, conducting sessions on hands-only CPR and first-aid techniques while also encouraging healthy lifestyle habits.
The initiative is further supported by Baby Step Kids Clinic and Vaccination Centre — led by Dr Latika Uppal — which serves as the paediatric healthcare partner.
Medical experts associated with the initiative, including Dr Chatrath, said every minute without CPR significantly reduced survival chances, making bystander awareness and rapid community response critically important in a country where traffic congestion and delayed emergency access could often affect outcomes.
“Through strong healthcare, educational and grassroots partnerships, Life Savers League aims to nurture a generation of informed first responders and build safer, more prepared and heart-safe communities, where every second can save a life,” he said.
