Cardiothoracic surgeon on a mission to share the Ngā Tohu Whakaora e Toru (3 Steps for Life)

A Waikato cardiothoracic surgeon’s mission to save lives has led him to becoming a Hato Hone St John Ngā Tohu Whakaora e Toru (3 Steps for Life) volunteer educator.

Mr Nand Kejriwal already holds many roles, including as the visiting Cardiothoracic Surgeon, Southern Cross Hospital, Hamilton; the Director of Surgical Training, Waikato Hospital; the Senior Lecturer in Surgery, University of Auckland; and the Educational Supervisor, Medical Council of New Zealand.

“I’ve been doing cardiac surgery in New Zealand for 20 years, mostly in the Waikato. I still operate at the Southern Cross Hospital but at Waikato Hospital most of my time is committed to training, educating, and mentoring – I lecture, supervise house surgeons for their first two years and I also teach at the courses run by the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. I just love teaching,” Mr Kejriwal says.

However, it’s the latest role with Hato Hone St John that has most recently gained his attention.

Mr Kejriwal found out about the 3 Steps for Life programme after visiting the Hato Hone St John website to find statistics on out of hospital cardiac arrests for a talk he was giving about CPR to senior citizens.

“I learnt that, for a country of only five million, we have 2000 out of hospital cardiac arrests each year and only 10 percent survive – that means 1800 dying every year.”

It was a shocking statistic that resonated with Mr Kejriwal.

“We have a pandemic, one person dies and the whole country shuts down, but something must be done about these people dying from a cardiac arrest,” he says.

“What I learnt on the St John website was that I could make a difference in the community – I have slowed down a little these days so can do this now – by becoming a 3 Steps for Life educator.

“I applied online straight away and here I am, now towards the end of the induction process and looking forward to starting to teach this. My motto is, if I can save one life, then life is worth living.”

Mr Kejriwal has also already started sharing the 3 Steps for Life and GoodSAM programme with other medical associates and organisations.

“They tell me they think it’s great, but just didn’t know about it. This led to some associates of mine buying a defibrillator and I’m even thinking I might buy one and keep it in the car so if I do come across someone arresting, I can be ready to help save a life,” he says.