New Delhi: The Ministry of Railways shared a video on Saturday showcasing a Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE) performing CPR on a 70-year-old passenger who reportedly suffered a heart attack during a train journey. While the video was intended to praise the TTE’s quick response, it has drawn criticism from medical professionals who pointed out that performing CPR on a conscious person is a serious violation of medical protocols and could result in legal consequences.
In a post on X, the Railway Ministry hailed the TTE as a “life saver,” noting that the incident occurred in the general coach of the Amrapali Express, which operates between Amritsar, Punjab, and Katihar Junction, Bihar.
“While traveling in the general coach of train number 15708 ‘Amrapali Express,’ a 70-year-old passenger suffered a heart attack. The TTE deployed there immediately gave CPR and saved the life of the passenger. The passenger was then sent to the hospital at Chhapra railway station,” the Ministry wrote.
The video showed the TTE performing mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on the man, who appeared conscious and responsive. However, medical professionals pointed out that artificial respiration, including CPR, is specifically intended for unconscious individuals and should not be administered to someone awake or responsive.
Doctors expressed alarm at the “misleading” video and urged the Railways to remove it from social media to prevent misinformation.
“Performing CPR on a patient who is conscious is very dangerous and wrong,” commented Dr. Ashish Pradhan (@DrAshishPradhan). “This is no joke. CPR is a life-saving procedure. Please delete this video so that people don’t lose lives over misinformation.”
