Toxicology protocols to be in place across healthcare network in Puducherry

The Hindu

2 days ago

In a significant boost to toxicology preparedness, the government has brought out a region-specific poisons manual that will set the protocol and standardise the management of poisoning cases across the three-tiered healthcare delivery network in Puducherry.
The poisons management manual, drafted by experts and tailored to the toxicological profile of the Union Territory, was formally launched at a workshop hosted recently at the Indira Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute (IGMC&RI).
Besides, a resource base of 81 healthcare professionals — 35 doctors and 46 nurses — from various institutions, including primary health centres (PHCs), community health centres (CHCs), district hospital and tertiary hospitals were trained as master trainers during the 'TOXI-TRAIN' workshop, a State-level Training of Trainers (ToT) initiative in toxicology.
The event, which aimed at enhancing Puducherry's capacity to handle poisoning cases through hands-on training and knowledge dissemination, was jointly organised by IGMC&RI's Department of Emergency Medicine and Trauma, the INDIA-EMS Project (supported by the Indian Council of Medical Research), and the Directorate of Health and Family Welfare Services.
The trainees, who comprised doctors/nurses from each of the 30 PHCs at the primary level, two CHCs at the secondary level and the Indira Gandhi Government General Hospital at the level of district hospital, will serve as resource persons for peer-to-peer dissemination of knowledge among colleagues within their institutions and thereby facilitating a robust systemic readiness.
According to experts, poisoning remains a leading cause of preventable deaths, especially in rural environments. In this context, the 'Toxi-Train Manual for Standardised Poison Management' is the first-of-its-kind resource tailored to the region's toxicological profile.
By addressing critical gaps in emergency toxicology by providing structured, evidence-based protocols for a trained cadre of frontline healthcare providers (doctors and nurses), the initiative hopes to make Puducherry better equipped to prevent avoidable deaths due to poisoning through timely and skilled interventions.
In fact, Puducherry is among the five sentinel sites for the prestigious Integrated Nationwide District-based Implementation Research for Emergency Model System (INDIA-EMS), an ICMR-led flagship initiative of the National Health Research Priority (NHRP), and the only one that is devoted to toxicology-related medical emergencies.
The key features of the manual, include step-by-step decontamination and stabilisation protocols, recognition of signs and symptoms across poison types, antidote preparation and administration, case-based scenarios and peer training tools.
The toxicology manual, designed for doctors and nurses, is ready for distribution among primary health centres (PHCs), community health centres (CHCs), and the district hospital.
During the workshop, IGMC&RI Director C. Udayasankar noted that there was growing importance of emergency medicine and trauma care in Puducherry, particularly in the light of increasing toxicological incidents. In this situation, an initiative for building long-term capacity through systematic training was commendable and of critical value, he added.
The workshop was led by Manu Ayyan, associate professor, Department of Emergency Medicine and Trauma at Jipmer and principal investigator of the INDIA-EMS Project and supported by R. Surendar, assistant professor at IGMC&RI and co-principal investigator, and S. Sooriyaprasannan, ICMR research scientist at Jipmer and project-cum-workshop coordinator. Ramachandra V. Bhat, Dean, IGMC&RI and Kavita Vasudevan, Head, Department of Community Medicine of the institute also addressed the delegates.
I. Joseph Raajesh, medical superintendent, IGMC&RI announced the induction of 12 Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) ambulances into Puducherry's 108 emergency services.
'We are expecting the resource persons to complete the peer-to-peer sharing of knowledge by the end of this month. This will ensure adherence to evidence-based and uniform treatment protocols in poisoning emergencies across Puducherry,' Dr. Sooriyaprasannan said.
A dedicated WhatsApp group will facilitate a continuum of toxicology support to physicians dealing with acute management of poisoning on a 24/7 basis.
'The future plan involves formulation and widespread dissemination of protocols for all designated emergencies, including heart attack, brain stroke, trauma, respiratory emergencies, and neonatal and maternal emergencies across the healthcare network,' he said.