VIJAYAWADA: Dr NTR University of Health Sciences (NTRUHS) conducted its inaugural Webex session on Monday, uniting representatives from all government and private medical colleges across Andhra Pradesh.
The virtual meeting featured a lecture by internationally renowned paediatric critical care expert, Dr Suneel Pooboni, currently Consultant at Mediclinic, Dubai, UAE. Held under the guidance of Vice-Chancellor Dr P Chandrasekhar and Registrar Dr V Radhika Reddy, the session focused on “Way Forward in Critical Care Journey: Is ECMO Possible in Our Setup?” Dr Pooboni provided an in-depth overview of ECMO (Extra Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation), a life-saving intervention used when the heart or lungs fail and conventional care is ineffective.
He highlighted ECMO’s significance in cases of severe pneumonia, cardiac arrest, and heart failure, where ventilators fall short.
While ECMO is commonplace in Western nations, its presence in India remains limited due to high costs and the need for specialised infrastructure and trained staff.