Jipmer trains first responders from rural areas to handle emergencies
The training was part of the INDIA-EMS initiative — 'One Responder, One Village' — aimed at training at least one first responder in every village to act promptly during medical emergencies and disasters, significantly improving golden-hour outcomes.
Jipmer conducted the comprehensive 'First Responder Training Programme' as a nodal centre and national implementation partner for INDIA- EMS, in collaboration with the district administration and the Directorate of Health and Family Welfare Services (DHFWS).
The Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Trauma and Burns, Jipmer served as the technical execution arm for the training, said a press note from Manu Ayyan, Principal Investigator, INDIA-EMS, and Associate Professor, Jipmer.
Inaugurating the programme, District Collector A. Kulothungan highlighted the importance of equipping local citizens with skills to handle mass casualty events and day-to-day emergencies. He appreciated the collaborative efforts in building a sustainable and community-based emergency response system.
Among those who addressed the workshop were S. Govindarajan, Mission Director (NHM), G. Raghunathan, Deputy Director (IEC) and R. Duraisamy, Nodal Officer, 108 Emergency Services.
The speakers emphasised the urgency of decentralising emergency medical training and strengthening the preparedness of communities across all regions.
The batch of 50 participants came from various villages and underwent hands-on training in CPR, choking relief, trauma management, bleeding control, cervical spine protection, and safe patient transport, using simulation-based stations led by trained faculty from INDIA-EMS and CoE-Jipmer.
S. Sooriyaprasannan, Research Scientist, INDIA-EMS (NHRP), ICMR, who along with Gloria, Scientist, INDIA-EMS, and Nodal Officer, Centre of Excellence in Trauma and Burns, Jipmer, underscored the importance of evolving a trained and responsive village-level workforce capable of initiating immediate life-saving action, the press note said.
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