The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has launched a Basic Emergency Care Course (BECC) in nine states across the country with an aim to provide know-how to the common man on basic treatment during an emergency or epidemic.
Launched in nine states–Manipur, Punjab, Harayana, Maharashtra, Lakshwadeep, Kashmir, Orissa, Mizoram and Punjab, the course can be taken up voluntarily.
Currently, Delhi Traffic Police, Border Road Organisation (BRO), paramedicals, Army personnels, Air force staff and National Disaster Response Forum (NDRF) are being trained.
The course will help decrease their dependence on doctors during emergencies and natural calamities.
National coordinator of the programme, Nirmal Thakur said, “Doctors from AIIMS have been sent to the nine states to impart training.
The course will enable people to handle emergency situations in the absence of doctors.
” In a study conducted by the doctors at AIIMS, it was noted that several people lose their lives owing to the absence of instant medical care and poor accessibility to hospitals.
Programme Director Sanjeev Kumar Bhoi said, “It’s a very simple course and the training duration is 15-90 days.
We are getting a brilliant response.
We aim at training every home by 2020 and by 2030, people will have the basic medical care knowledge.
” Defence personnels from Nagpur, Pune, Gujarat, Assam, Ajmer, Jammu, Bihar and Karnataka are presently being trained at the AIIMS campus here.
The Cobra Battalion deployed in the Naxalite areas is also being trained in the Capital.