By Anusri Ganguly:- ‘Is Navi Mumbai ready to save a life.’ This was the question that set
the CPR Pledge Movement in motion by Apollo Hospitals Navi Mumbai.
Conducted from 8 July to 7 August 2026, the movement set out to mobilise 50,000 people to pledge
that they would learn CPR and be better prepared to respond in the critical moments before
professional medical help arrivesNavi Mumbai not only crossed the target but brought together
people from across the city in a collective commitment to being prepared.
More than 120 institutions, including schools, colleges, workplaces and community organisations,
participated in the initiative, bringing together students, teachers, healthcare professionals,
employees, families and community membersThis initiative sought to encourage people to become
more prepared and proactive in responding to medical emergenciesOver the course of the
campaign, 61,221 people pledged to learn CPR, turning a simple call to action into a widespread
community movement.
The month-long movement culminated with GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ officially
recognising Apollo Hospitals Navi Mumbai as the record-holder for ‘Most pledges received to
learn CPR in one month’, at a special event held in the presence of DrPreetha Reddy, Executive
Vice Chairperson, Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Limited and actor Karisma Kapoor.
Dr Preetha Reddy, Executive Vice Chairperson, Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Limited, said,
“For ten years, Navi Mumbai has honoured us with its trustToday, more than 61,000 people have
pledged to learn CPR, reminding us of the extraordinary power of a community united by a shared
purposeThis is the inspiration behind ‘My Hands Are Ready’, a movement that seeks to place life-
saving knowledge into the hands of ordinary citizens across IndiaThere can be no greater way to
honour the trust Navi Mumbai has placed in our hands than to empower millions more hands to be
ready to help save a life.”
The scale of the campaign responds to a significant CPR knowledge-and-action gap in IndiaMore
than 700,000 people are estimated to die from sudden cardiac arrest in the country each year, while
studies suggest that only 1.3%-9.8% of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests receive bystander CPRIn
urban populations, only around 2%-6.5% of laypeople have been reported to be able to perform CPR,
and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survival to hospital discharge remains below 2%-3%These figures
underline the importance of equipping ordinary citizens to act before professional help arrives.
Through “My Hands Are Ready”, Apollo Hospitals is helping turn willingness to help into the
confidence and preparedness to take the right action when it matters most.
Mr Arunesh Punetha, Regional CEO- Western Region, Apollo Hospitals, said,
“We want to take the message beyond Navi Mumbai and encourage people across India to learn CPR
and feel prepared to respond when a life may depend on those standing closestThis movement is
about giving ordinary people the courage to step forward for another lifeThat is what makes it more
than a campaignIt is a commitment to society, to every life, every family and every one of us.
Through ‘My Hands Are Ready’, it is a promise we make to each otherAnd it is a promise we make
to India.”
Dr Nitin Jagasia, Regional Director – Emergency, Western Region, Apollo Hospitals, said,
“When someone suffers a cardiac emergency (their heart stops), the first person at the scene is often
not a healthcare professional but a family member, colleague, friend or passer-byThe ability to
recognise this and initiate CPR can make all the difference while professional help is on its wayThis
movement by Apollo is to encourage thousands of people to take the first step towards acquiring this
essential basic skillEvery person who learns CPR becomes better equipped to respond during those
crucial early moments.”
At its heart is a simple idea: our hands are already capable of caring, helping and protecting.
With the right knowledge and training, they can also be ready to respond when a life is at risk.
