Latest news with #IntegratedNationwideDistrict-basedImplementationResearchforEmergencyModelSystem
The Hindu
09-07-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Jipmer trains first responders from rural areas to handle emergencies
Jipmer has completed training a batch of first responders under the INDIA-EMS (Integrated Nationwide District-based Implementation Research for Emergency Model System) project of the National Health Research Priority (NHRP), Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). 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.
The Hindu
04-06-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Toxicology protocols to be in place across healthcare network in Puducherry
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.
