Shortage of well trained emergency nurses is a major issue bedeviling India’s heathcare system
Pune, October 18, 2016: In a first of its kind initiative in the city, Columbia Asia Hospitals, Pune is conducting a year-long Post Graduate Course in Emergency & Trauma Nursing to train nurses in crucial emergency response skills. The initiative is aimed at filling up the void of well trained emergency and ambulance staff who can effectively respond to save lives of stroke, heart attacks and accident victims.
The course for nursing graduates was conceptualized last year with an objective of improving the response standards of emergency staff in Indian hospitals.
The first batch of four nurses who underwent this course and successfully completed it were facilitated today at a special ceremony at the hospital. The pass-outs are now set to join the hospital’s Emergency Medicine and Trauma Department and boost its emergency response services.
“Emergency Medicine is itself a relatively new branch of medicine and there is an acute shortage of nurses trained in emergency response in India. We conceptualized this course with an objective of playing a small but steady role in addressing this shortage. Our course has been designed to train nurses in all aspects of emergency situations from accidents cases to victims of heart attack or brain stroke. It is important to underline here that well trained nursing staff can make a he difference to survival of victims,” says Dr Ravi Pratap, Consultant - Emergency Medicine, Columbia Asia Hospitals, Pune.
The course was rolled out with two modules and an internship program with the Hospital’s EMT Department. It also included a special segment on training nurses in handling patients in ambulances.
“Lack of equipped ambulances is another major drawback in our healthcare system. A number of times, especially in cases of accidents, stroke or cardiac arrest, immediate medical intervention becomes very important to save the life of an individual. Having a trained paramedic or nurse in an ambulance is therefore of utmost importance,” adds Dr Pratap.
India loses over 1 lakh lives in road accidents every year, most of them because the victims fail to receive the right medical attention within a brief period of time after the casualty. Similarly, a large number of people die to due heart attacks and stroke in which might medical response within the ‘Golden Hour’ can save a life and also prevent disability.
Chief of Nursing Services Col. Sanjula Verma says, "Emeregncy Nursing is a speciality area of nursing profession like no other. This course will definitely help the nurses gain experience to treat a wide variety of illnesses and emergency situations. With Emergency & Trauma Medicine set to grow as a dedicated branch in India, the demand for nurses trained in emergency response will only grow. We not only train them with first hand experience but also give them a stipend for the duration of the course".
With the first batch of the course having passed out, the Hospital is now inviting applications from nursing graduates for the course which also offers a handsome stipend to students.
About Columbia Asia Hospitals Pvt. Ltd.
Columbia Asia Hospitals Pvt. Ltd. is the only company in India to utilize 100% foreign direct investment (FDI) route in the hospital sector.
About Columbia Asia Group of Companies
The Columbia Asia Group is owned by more than 150 private equity companies, fund management organizations and individual investors. The group currently operates eleven facilities in India and has presence in Patiala, Bangalore, Gurgaon, Ghaziabad, Kolkata, Mysore, Patiala and Pune. The company also operates hospitals in Malaysia (11), Vietnam (3), and Indonesia (3). The Indian management operations are managed from its office in Bangalore.