ICRC ties up with Directorate of Health Services, Jammu, and GMC Srinagar to organize trainings in the state for second time
The importance of quick, responsive care in a medical emergency when minutes, or even seconds, count, can never be emphasized enough. Good trauma care involves getting the patient to the right place at the right time for the right care and can save many lives.
Dr A D Singh, Directorate of Health Services, Jammu, addresses the participants of the ERTC. ©ICRC / Ashish Bhatia
Keeping in mind the importance of emergency room trauma care, the ICRC, for the second time, joined hands with the Jammu and Kashmir health authorities to organize two emergency room trauma courses (ERTC) in Jammu and Srinagar. In Jammu, the ICRC partnered with the Directorate of Health Services to conduct the course from 17-19 December. This was followed by a training in Srinagar from 22-24 December, held in conjunction with the Government Medical College (GMC). The ICRC, along with the health services directorate, had organized a similar training in Srinagar in April last year for 20 medics from the state.
The workshop was aimed at training doctors in standardized diagnostic and therapeutic procedures that should be applied on trauma patients in hospital emergency rooms. Specialist doctors — 19 from the Directorate of Health Services, Jammu, and 20 from GMC Srinagar participated in these workshops. The training was imparted by three specialist surgeons — Dr Francois Irmay from Geneva, Dr Abdullah Qazzaz from Iraq and Dr Rohit Shrestha from Nepal — all consultant trainers with the ICRC.
A representative of the Directorate of Health Services, Jammu, Dr A D Singh, said the training would help doctors deliver better care and stabilize and manage emergency patients at hospitals in Jammu and Kashmir. “The directorate is focusing on building a continuum in health care — starting from pre-hospital care to extensive care in the emergency room — at peripheral hospitals across Kashmir Valley, and such trainings will help us achieve this end,” he said.
A practical session during the workshop. ©ICRC/Ashish Bhatia
ERTC is an advanced course on life support and trauma management that enables doctors to establish a simple and systematic approach in managing trauma patients once they arrive in hospital. The ICRC has long experience of providing health care to trauma victims and runs the course worldwide. Highlighting the objective of the workshop, Dr Francois said: “ERTC is a course established by the ICRC on an internationally recognized scientific basis which helps doctors working in emergency rooms deal better with trauma patients. The philosophy is centred on prioritising injuries of patients and helping doctors identify, treat and save lives.”
The training was very well received with doctors saying that they would implement what they had learnt in their respective lines of work and hospitals. “The course helped me brush up the basics of trauma management. I knew what this entails earlier as well, but I learnt a lost at the ERTC workshop and am confident I can handle emergencies better,” said Dr Sifna Tahir, a participant, on the sidelines of the ERTC at GMC, Srinagar.
Dr Sachin Vaid, a participant doctor from Rajouri, said: “This training has taught us how to manage casualties in a more systematic manner and has also given us an insight into how to establish proper emergency rooms at our district and sub-district hospitals.” Dr Mridula Singh, who has long years of experience in emergency care and attended the workshop, said such courses are very much needed in the state.
The principal of GMC Srinagar, Professor Rafiq Ah Pampori, appreciated the support provided by the ICRC in organising the two trainings and for bringing in the specialist trainers. “This training will go a long way in helping us improve trauma care in our hospital and the doctors who participated in it can pass on their learning to their colleagues,” said Dr Pampori.
Video – ICRC Emergency Room Trauma Courses in Jammu and Kashmir
SNAPSHOTS FROM THE WORKSHOP
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