Health first: MUHS collaborates with US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to train people to handle medical disasters in a 3-pronged approach
Having committed itself to handle disaster management, particularly medical emergencies during Kumbh Mela, Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS) is working on a three-track programme.
Speaking about its initiative to dna, Dr Arun Jamkar, varsity's vice chancellor, said MUHS has collaborated with the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, US to work out the module for medical disaster management. Dr Vikas Kapil, in-charge, disaster management at CDC, is working with MUHS on this issue.
As part of the first track, the programme involves training the leadership across sectors like administration, medicine, institutes, etc. Some 75 leaders will be given information to recognize, acknowledge and handle medical emergencies occurring due to biological or nuclear warfare, bombing, disease breakouts, accidents, stampedes, and so on. .
On the second track, a large number of medics are being trained. "50% of doctors, nurses and other medical staff from the civil hospital, 25% from the department of deputy director of health, and the remaining from the medical profession including private facilities will be trained to handle actual medical disasters, first reactions to emergencies, patient inflow, immediate medical care, etc," Dr Jamkar said.
On the third track, the MUHS is focusing on training a large number of people from the public. "This is the biggest phase of training where laymen will be trained to handle emergency situations. This will include teaching people how to stop bleeding, give cardiac massage, lifting and carrying patients to ambulances, finding passages for ambulances to pass through, and other basic modalities," Dr Jamkar said.
The third track also includes training 1,000 policemen who would be on spot in case of emergencies, home guards, and traffic police. The MUHS also plans to train one member of a family who reside along the Shahi Marg – route of procession of sadhus for the holy bath on the day of parvani. In that last Kumbh Mela in Nashik, there was a stampede on the route that killed 27 persons.
The varsity plans to train trainers as well. "To train a large number of the general public to handle medical disasters, we will need trainers, and so a special module to train the trainers has been planned. This will be conducted under the guidance of Dr Sanjeev Bhoi from All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi," Dr Jamkar said.
The module also includes upgradation of hopsitals on the route, and setting up makeshift care facilities.
There would also be mobile OPDs. Mobile apps such as medi-tracker, epidemic control, hospital locators, blood bank information, etc will be developed like. To ensure sufficient supply of blood there also are plans to conduct blood donation camps.
This training modules are being conducted by MUHS for participants. "The expenses of this training programme will not be borne by the government. It is being done by MUHS with the help of philanthropists and donors. While police personnel are being trained, training for others will begin from April." the doctor said.
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