Railway Minister deletes video of TTE performing CPR on conscious passenger after backlash

Union Minister of Railways of India Ashwini Vaishnaw has now deleted the video of a travelling ticket examiner (TTE) performing CPR on an elderly passenger who suffered a heart attack on a train.

Sharing the video on X, Vaishnaw had hailed the railway official as a "lifesaver.”.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is an emergency procedure that helps restart breathing and restores heartbeat. However, the video showed the TTE performing CPR on the elderly man while he was conscious.

After the minister shared the video, several doctors questioned the action and slammed the official.

The incident took place on Amrapali Express, and the patient was sent to a hospital in Chhapra, Bihar.

Dr Cyriac Abby Philips, better known as “The Liver Doc” on X, urged the minister to take down the video.

“Cardiopulmonary resuscitation should never be performed on a conscious patient, as it is designed for individuals who are unconscious and not breathing. Again, in case you or your trained staff did not understand. If a person is conscious and breathing, even if they are experiencing discomfort, do not initiate CPR,” he said.

“The railway person is harming the patient. His chest compressions are wrong and crude, and he is impairing the chances of spontaneous breathing and increasing the risk of rib fractures and chest trauma. What utter nonsense is this? Delete this abomination. It is a request from a citizen. We already have so much disgrace to deal with as a nation,” Philips said.

Another doctor, Sudhir Kumar, based out of Hyderabad, said, “Breathing and pulse are the two critical factors in determining whether someone needs CPR. If a person isn’t breathing or doesn’t have a pulse, you need to perform CPR immediately. A person who is not breathing and is pulseless would be unconscious.”