# Asia’s first Citizen Life Saving Summit promotes CPR awareness

- Published: 2026-11-09 05:10 UTC
- Section: Life & Health › Medicine
- Tags: Citizen Life Saving Summit, cardiac arrest, CPR training, AED awareness, community responders
- URL: https://realtech.media/news/rt-aecae123bd365acb1faac92c_asia_s_first/

**Over 300 participants gathered in Singapore to enhance public response to cardiac arrest and medical emergencies.**

![Asia’s first Citizen Life Saving Summit promotes CPR awareness](https://realtech.media/media/2026/11/d2c4bac5ac9c59c4.jpg)
*U.S. Navy photo by Emily McCamy, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain*

SINGAPORE, 9 NOVEMBER 2026—More than 3,000 people in Singapore suffer sudden cardiac arrest each year, with close to 80 per cent of cases occurring outside healthcare facilities. In those critical first minutes, whether someone nearby knows how to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) or use automated external defibrillators (AEDs) can make a critical difference between life and death.

Against this backdrop, Asia’s inaugural Citizen Life Saving Summit, held at Tan Tock Seng Hospital’s Centre for Healthcare Innovation on 9 November, brought together over 300 community responders, healthcare professionals, educators, cardiac arrest survivors, and policymakers to promote greater public participation in responding to medical emergencies in Singapore and regionally.

Professor Kenneth Mak, Director-General of Health, Singapore’s Ministry of Health, graced the event as the guest of honour. While the bystander CPR rate in Singapore increased from 22 per cent in 2011 to 62 per cent in 2022, it remains low in comparison to countries such as Denmark, where there is nearly an 80 per cent likelihood of receiving aid from members of the community.

Professor Marcus Ong, Director of the Pre-hospital & Emergency Research Centre at Duke-NUS Medical School, emphasized the importance of community involvement. He stated, "When someone suffers a cardiac arrest, the first lifesaver is often not a doctor or paramedic, but the person standing nearby. Those first few minutes matter enormously. We need more people to have the confidence and skills to step forward, perform CPR and use an AED while emergency medical services are on their way."

The role of the community was highlighted by 23-year-old Lukas Ho, who saved a man’s life after responding to a notification from the Singapore Civil Defence Force’s myResponder mobile app. He performed CPR and used an AED with another community responder. Ho later received the Community Lifesaver Award from SCDF’s Tampines Branch, expressing the importance of being equipped with CPR and AED skills.

At the Summit, community first responders shared their experiences and the impact of their actions during medical emergencies. A panel session discussed the potential for installing AEDs in all buildings, sharing successes and lessons from various countries. Experts also provided an overview of initiatives to build communities of citizen lifesavers across Asia, including public education and training in CPR and AED usage.

The Citizen Life Saving Summit is jointly organized by the Asian Association for Emergency Medical Services and the Section of EMS Physicians under the College of Emergency Physicians, Academy of Medicine, Singapore, with support from Duke-NUS Medical School and the Citizen CPR Foundation. The Summit is part of the eighth EMS Asia conference, which focuses on improving disaster and trauma systems across Asia and integrating them with community responses.

## Sources

1. [ResearchSEA](https://www.asiaresearchnews.com/node/23651)

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Source: RealTech, realtech.media — https://realtech.media/news/rt-aecae123bd365acb1faac92c_asia_s_first/