Hyderabad, Sep 29: On the occasion of World Heart Day 2026, Citizens Specialty Hospitals, Nallagandla, is reinforcing its commitment to preventive cardiac health and emergency preparedness through its “Don’t Miss a Beat. Be an Informed Citizen” initiative. The initiative brings together extensive Basic Life Support and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation training and the introduction of E-Heart, Citizens, a WhatsApp community focused on connecting stakeholders with timely cardiac expertise.
Over the past year, Citizens Specialty Hospitals has taken cardiac awareness and CPR education beyond the hospital, conducting 1,350+ BLS and CPR training sessions across residential communities, educational institutions, workplaces and neighbourhood associations.
The initiative focuses on equipping citizens with practical knowledge to recognise cardiac emergencies, initiate CPR and provide immediate assistance until professional medical help arrives. Through hands-on training and awareness programmes, the hospital is encouraging people to move beyond awareness and become prepared to take action when faced with a cardiac emergency. This effort reflects the hospital’s emphasis on preventive health education and empowering citizens with life-saving skills.
Commenting on the initiative, Dr. Prabhakar Palacharla, Vice President & Regional Chief Operating Officer, Citizens Specialty Hospital & American Oncology Institute South, said,
“Cardiovascular disease is an increasing concern among the working-age population, affecting people at a time when they are often at the centre of their families, workplaces and communities. When a cardiac emergency occurs, every minute matters, and the actions taken in those first few minutes can make a critical difference. That is why we need to go beyond awareness and equip more people to become confident first responders—able to recognise the signs of a cardiac emergency, call for help promptly and provide basic life-saving support until medical assistance arrives. On World Heart Day, we encourage everyone to learn these essential skills and be prepared to step in when someone needs help. A community that knows how to respond can give a person a better chance when every heartbeat counts.”
The initiative has been led by Dr. Ramakrishna Janapati, Senior Consultant-Cardiologist; Dr. Sandeep Khambhampati, Consultant-Cardiologist & Interventional Cardiologist; and Dr. Giridhar H, Senior Consultant-Cardiothoracic & Heart and Lung Transplant Surgeon, who have been instrumental in driving the hospital’s focus on cardiac awareness, prevention and emergency preparedness.
Recent training programmes have included BLS and CPR sessions for teaching and administrative staff at educational institutions and emergency services training for employees of organisations, further extending the reach of cardiac emergency preparedness into everyday community and workplace settings.
Complementing this citizen-focused initiative, Citizens Specialty Hospitals is introducing E-Heart, Citizens, a WhatsApp community that connects doctors, HR SPOCs and EC members with the hospital’s cardiology team for timely cardiac opinions and expert guidance. The initiative aims to strengthen access to cardiac expertise, facilitate timely care and foster greater collaboration among healthcare and institutional stakeholders through an accessible communication channel.
Together, the BLS and CPR initiative and E-Heart, Citizens represent Citizens Specialty Hospitals’ broader approach to cardiac health by educating citizens, building emergency response capabilities and strengthening access to timely cardiac expertise.
This is an ongoing effort, and the hospital will continue to extend the initiative to other communities, equipping first responders with training for cardiac emergencies.
This World Heart Day, Citizens Specialty Hospitals calls on every individual to be informed, prepared and ready to act. Don’t Miss a Beat. Be an Informed Citizen.
