Bhubaneswar: An Odia woman living in US provides free CPR awareness and educational training sessions whenever she comes to her birthplace in Odisha. Hailing from Cuttack, Suchismita Swain, who is currently living in Mankato, Minnesota, has been doing so in different institutions and organisations since 2017.In Odisha, she conducted the sessions at Chitra Heart Hospital recently; Kalinga Hospital, Bhubaneswar, in Nov 2024; Rotary Club, Bhadrak in Dec 2023; SCB Medical College, Cuttack in Aug 2017 and Biju Patnaik State Police Academy in July 2017. “I conduct these sessions to make this life-saving skill accessible to everyone and to increase CPR awareness across the community in Odisha and the US,” said Swain, who currently serves as director, growth strategy and quality assurance, HeartCert CPR.Over the years, she has trained healthcare professionals, police personnel, community leaders and scouts. “In India, I organise community training sessions in accessible locations and accept invitations from organisations that want to promote CPR awareness. In US, I provide professional CPR instruction to healthcare providers and students. I also volunteer to teach CPR at OSA conventions and community events,” she said.She has conducted sessions in US like at the 56th Odisha Society of America (OSA) convention, Texas in July 2025; OSA NY/NJ chapter in Nov 2024; OSA, Chicago chapter in July 2024; and 53rd OSA convention, California, in July 2022.She started cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) while pursuing her master’s degree in public health education at Minnesota State University, where she was introduced to it. “Learning a powerful life-saving skill inspired me deeply. I wanted to bring that knowledge back to my home state of Odisha, where CPR awareness was very limited,” said Swain. “During my first few training sessions, I was touched by the enthusiasm of young participants, scouts, students, and community members. It motivates me to volunteer my time and expertise,” she added.“We learnt the difference between Indian and American standards during the recent session. She focused on many thumb rules,” said Shreeharsha Samal, the senior manager at Chitra Heart Hospital, Cuttack. Sisir Mishra of Bhadrak, who had attended one of Swain’s sessions in Bhadrak earlier said the learning helped him revive his father.Swain, a certified instructor with both the American Heart Association (AHA) and the American Red Cross, is certified to teach basic life support (BLS), advanced cardiovascular life support (ACLS), and paediatric advanced life support (PALS).She uses professional training equipment, including adult and infant manikins equipped with real-time feedback devices. This allows participants to practise proper CPR techniques according to international standards. In all her training programmes, the latest American Heart Association (AHA) and American Red Cross guidelines and curriculum are followed. “These are internationally recognised, evidence-based standards to ensure that participants receive accurate, high-quality CPR education aligned with current best practices.
