Ashwini Vaishnaw deletes viral video of CPR on passenger in train amid backlash from doctors

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has deleted the video of a travelling ticket examiner (TTE) performing CPR on an elderly passenger who allegedly suffered a heart attack while travelling in a train. The move comes as several doctors question the action and slammed the official.

The Railway Ministry had shared the same video earlier, hailing the TTE as a "lifesaver". The video shows the official performing chest compressions on the 70-year-old man while he lay on a lower berth in the train. The passenger, who is fully awake but appears distressed, is asked by the man recording the video when he started feeling unwell while the TTE performs CPR on him.

The medical emergency took place on Amrapali Express, according to the ministry. The passenger was sent to a hospital in Chhapra, Bihar.

"Our dedicated Indian Railways' team," Ashwini Vaishnaw had written in his now-deleted X post on Sunday, sharing the video.

Dr Cyriac Abby Philips, better known as “The Liver Doc” on the internet, was among the first to respond to the minister's post, urging him to delete the video. The hepatologist who routinely busts health-related misinformation pointed out that CPR should not be given to a conscious patient.

"The railway person is harming the patient. His chest compressions are wrong, crude and he is impairing the chances of spontaneous breathing and increasing the risk of rib fractures and chest trauma," The Liver Doc said.

Dr Sam Ghali, an emergency medicine physician in the US who regularly shares medical case studies on social media, was another doctor who shared his thoughts after watching the video.

"I can’t believe I actually have to say this but do not perform mouth-to-mouth CPR on awake people who are literally talking to you," Dr Ghali said on X.

Take a look at his post:

Another doctor, Dr Nawazish Khan, said "CPR is not performed on conscious patients. The procedure is reserved exclusively for those who are unresponsive & not breathing or have an ineffective pulse. Performing CPR on a conscious patient violates medical protocols & can result in legal liability for the responder."

(Also Read: Gujarat man revives lifeless snake using CPR. Watch)