Lives can be saved if more people know the basics of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, doctors say.
The need for a rapid response in emergencies has prompted one of Abu Dhabi's largest health care providers to go on the road to teach CPR.
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi will visit shopping malls and other venues across the emirate for a health education campaign that will run until the end of 2018.
Dr Jacques Kobersy, chairman of the hospital's Emergency Medicine Institute, stressed the importance of care in the first 10 to 15 minutes in an emergency, sometimes referred to as the "golden time".
“Rapid response is important in emergency situations, whether it is a stroke, an accident, or a heart issue. People should take immediate action and seek medical attention as soon as possible. The aim of the roadshow is to educate people and ensure everyone knows that our emergency department is open to anyone who requires our help,” Dr Kobersy said.
"We can't stress enough to everyone in society that CPR can make a difference between someone who survives an event and someone who doesn't. It is very easily taught and easily done by a layperson at the scene."
He said that a lack of awareness meant "more patients [in the UAE] who have a cardiac arrest do not get CPR at the scene than what we see in the US and UK".
"There isn't as much awareness here, and I see an opportunity and need for improvement," he said.
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi's team of certified American Health Association trainers will show the public how CPR is performed and there will be an opportunity to practice on mannequins.
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The team will provide hands-on coaching, demonstrating how and when to give chest compression to keep the heart pumping until emergency services arrive.
The sessions will begin on July 12 at Abu Dhabi Mall and will be open to all.
When patients arrive at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi's emergency department, there is a three-step process that ensures they see a doctor within minutes.
When describing the process for receiving patients, Dr Kobersy said: “They are brought straight back to a treatment room where they are evaluated by the nurse and emergency medicine physician together. This promotes good communication, and ensures that we start helping them from the moment they arrive. Interpreters are also available.”