Dr. George Preprah: Why CPR training in corporate institutions could save lives

The sudden demise of veteran actor Kwame Dzokoto has renewed conversations about emergency preparedness and the importance of equipping corporate institutions with the skills to respond to life-threatening medical emergencies.

Beyond the grief surrounding his death, the incident raises an important question: How prepared are workplaces to respond when an employee, colleague or visitor suddenly collapses and requires immediate medical attention?

For cardiologist Dr. George Preprah of Takoradi Hospital, the answer lies partly in making cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training a priority in corporate institutions.

He made the remarks in an interview on Connect 97.1FM in Takoradi.

He believes the ability to administer emergency CPR could make a critical difference in situations where every second counts, particularly when professional medical assistance is yet to arrive.

“Corporate institutions should train their staff in emergency CPR. It goes a long way toward saving lives, and it could have saved Kwame Dzokoto,” Dr. Preprah said.

His comments highlight the need for workplaces to move beyond conventional occupational safety measures and recognise that medical emergencies can occur unexpectedly, regardless of a person's age, profession or working environment.

When seconds matter CPR is an emergency procedure used when a person becomes unresponsive and is not breathing normally, including when they are experiencing cardiac arrest.

The procedure involves chest compressions to help maintain blood circulation to vital organs, particularly the brain and heart, until normal circulation can be restored or professional medical assistance takes over.

In such emergencies, the absence of immediate intervention can significantly reduce a person's chances of survival.

Dr. Preprah's call for corporate CPR training underscores the importance of having employees who can recognise an emergency and respond appropriately rather than waiting helplessly for an ambulance or medical personnel.

Although CPR does not guarantee survival, early intervention can improve the chances of recovery in cases of cardiac arrest.

The circumstances surrounding Kwame Dzokoto's death should not be taken to establish that CPR would have saved him.

However, his sudden demise provides an opportunity to examine whether workplaces have adequate emergency response systems to support people experiencing unexpected medical crises.

Corporate institutions must do more. For many organisations, workplace safety often focuses on fire prevention, security, evacuation procedures and the provision of first aid.While these measures remain important, CPR training is another critical component of emergency preparedness that deserves greater attention.

Corporate institutions bring together employees, clients, visitors and other members of the public, making them environments where sudden medical emergencies can occur.

Yet, in many workplaces, employees may not know what to do when someone collapses, becomes unresponsive or experiences difficulty breathing.

The challenge is not necessarily the absence of concern but the lack of practical knowledge and confidence to respond.

Training employees in CPR could help address this gap by ensuring that more people understand how to recognise cardiac arrest, call emergency services and begin appropriate life-saving assistance.

Institutions should also consider providing accessible first-aid equipment, including Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs), where appropriate, and ensure employees know how to use them.

The presence of trained personnel and emergency equipment could strengthen workplace preparedness and reduce the time between the onset of an emergency and the commencement of assistance.

CPR should not be reserved for health professionals.

One of the important lessons from Dr. Preprah's intervention is that emergency CPR should not be viewed as a skill exclusively reserved for doctors, nurses and other medical professionals.