THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Days after the Health Department proposed to set up a state-of-the-art simulation centre in Thiruvananthapuram to facilitate training in trauma care, the department has decided to seek the technical expertise and assistance of trauma care centres based in Hyderabad. This comes after Health Minister K K Shylaja paid a visit and held talks with Hyderabad based Care Hospitals and Emergency Management and Research Institute (EMRI).
“As the state is on the cusp of introducing a comprehensive trauma care programme, the state-of-the-art simulation centre for trauma care training will become a game changer. The Health Minister in her visit to these centres had mainly looked into the viability of using their expertise in the field for the simulation centre which is on the cards,” said the Health Minister’s Office. During her visit, the minister is said to have assessed the Care Hospitals have one of the best ambulance network and emergency management system. Whereas in the case of EMRI, the centre is aimed to equip medical professionals and clinical educators on the contemporary principles and practices of emergency medicine.
“To make the state well-equipped in trauma care, the department is also planning to conduct a doctor exchange programme in which a group of doctors from Thiruvananthapuram will be sent to Hyderabad and vice-versa,” said an officer with the Health Department. It was two weeks ago the Health Department pitched the idea of establishing a state-of-the-art simulation centre at Thiruvananthapuram Government Medical College Hospital. It has then been stated the centre which comes at a cost of D10 crore will impart training to various players in the healthcare sector ranging from ambulance drivers to doctors.
The centre being implemented in cooperation with the Warwick University, England and All India Institute of Medical Science, Delhi will be operated by Tata Trust for the first three years.Earlier, in the state Budget a ‘GPS enabled ambulance network’ and a ‘comprehensive accident insurance programme’ was mooted. It has been pointed out that the budgetary proposal of launching a state-wide e-network of ambulances in line with the service provided by cab aggregators like Uber is part of that plan.