Sri Ramachandra Univ launched training centre

Sri Ramachandra University, Porur, launched a regional training centre to manage life-threatening emergencies on Friday.The centre will train medical students, doctors, paramedics and nurses in basic life support, advanced cardiac life support and paediatric advanced life support methods as per the American Heart Association guidelines 2005."We need a programme that can be a pilot project, an example for the rest of the country... [given] our financial status and the system of diseases and emergencies," said Tamorish Kole, regional faculty of the Association, who inaugurated a nine-day workshop to mark the launch of the centre and lauded the University's efforts.

Emergency medical service programme was first started in 1998 in Hyderabad with support from the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia but the practices here are different, Dr. Kole told a gathering of doctors and paramedics that included University vice-chancellor S. Rangaswami and pro-chancellor T.K. Parthasarathy."The five-year-old Indian Institute of Emergency Medical Services aims to create standards in training in colleges," he said.On Friday, the first batch of 100 medical professionals from Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala began their nine-day training in life support methods. The Centre has proposed to conduct four training sessions every year.

At the end of the training participants will be given AHA authorisation cards allowing them to practice life saving techniques anywhere in the world, said T.V. Ramakrishnan, head of Clinical Services, Department of Accident and Emergency Medicine.Those who do well in the training programmes would be encouraged to take up instructor's course, equipping them to train doctors and paramedics, Mr. Ramakrishnan said.