Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw Clarifies After Facing Flak For CPR On Conscious Train Passenger Video

Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw found himself at the centre of controversy after sharing a video of a Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE) performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on a conscious 70-year-old passenger aboard a moving train.

While the video appeared to highlight quick action in an emergency, it drew criticism from medical professionals for its incorrect demonstration of CPR procedures. 

In response to the backlash, the minister clarified in a subsequent post, stating, “CPR should be stopped when a person becomes conscious or follows commands, which are signs of return of spontaneous circulation.” 

Despite this clarification, doctors urged him to delete the video, pointing out inaccuracies in the technique and protocol. 

An X user, @Chulbulpanda420, who claimed to be a doctor, reacting to the video wrote, "This video is misleading. (The) Video seems to promote CPR in conscious patients. Many will attempt CPR in conscious patients citing your video. So stop promoting it. I request you to delete it."

Another X user @SurgeonTweetz, claiming to be a medical surgeon, wrote: "The patient is conscious and breathing. There is no indication for rescue breath, too. You should update whether trains have oxygen cylinders, fully automatic aeds, and other necessary crash cart drugs so doctors onboard can use it or railway doctors should guide the staff in train through video call."

Requesting the rail minister to delete the video, @SubbarajuX wrote," Appreciating your stand that CPR might have started when unconscious & should have been stopped on regaining consciousness, the original post would still mislead. Optics too are important. It would be graceful to delete it or publish it with apt video."

According to medical experts, CPR is a life-saving procedure meant only for individuals experiencing cardiac arrest. Performing CPR on a conscious person, as shown in the video, is medically incorrect and can cause harm. 

Doctors also highlighted procedural errors in the video, such as performing mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, which is only recommended when the patient is unconscious and not breathing. Moreover, the train should have been stopped immediately to ensure a safe environment for the patient during the procedure.