BENGALURU: With the number of COVID-19 cases on the rise, the Karnataka government is not limiting itself to procuring ventilators, but is also taking measures to equip its doctors to use them. Starting this week, the state government will launch online training for doctors, paramedical staff and support medical staff at every district level on how to use a ventilator, and treat and care for patients who are on ventilator. A host of specialists — government and private — have been roped in to train other doctors online, as well as on-ground, on need basis.
“The government is considering widespread ventilator training to all doctors across the state. We have identified intensivists, pulmonologists and anesthesiologists. They will train doctors on a TOT —Training of Trainers — basis. We have already given a list of doctors to train and receive training to the government,” said Dr C Nagaraja, director, SDS Tuberculosis Research Centre & Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases.
Deputy Chief Minister Dr CN Ashwath Narayan told TNIE that the training will not be limited to doctors but will be extended to nurses and caregivers as well. “The schedule for online training will begin in a day or two. We will connect the trainers with trainees via online platforms batch-wise.” Dr Ashwath Narayan, who is part of the government’s task force to tackle the COVID-19 crisis, said the government will not discriminate among doctors, whether trainers or trainees. “We have involved the private sector in tackling COVID-19 and there will be no discrimination between private and government doctors,” he said.
The state government currently has about 900 ready-to-use ventilators and has placed orders for another 350 ventilators. While about 100 of the yet-to-be-procured ventilators are ready to use, others need to be manufactured.