The Business Bytes
BHUBANESWAR, AUGUST 7, 2024 (TBB BUREAU): The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has launched a groundbreaking National Health Research Priority Project aimed at advancing emergency care systems across five districts, including Puri in Odisha. The initiative, announced by AIIMS Bhubaneswar Executive Director Dr. Ashutosh Biswas, seeks to create a High-Quality Patient-Centric Integrated Model for Emergency Care Systems.
The project targets improving emergency care logistics, enhancing healthcare provider skills, integrating IT and AI tools, and mapping medical facilities. Key improvements will include upgrading ambulance services, boosting community demand, and training first-level responders. It will focus on seven critical emergencies: heart attacks, brain strokes, trauma, snake bites, poisoning, respiratory issues, and neonatal and maternal emergencies.
AIIMS Bhubaneswar, in collaboration with ICMR and the Odisha government, is leading the project. During a National Level Consultation-cum-Review Meeting at AIIMS Bhubaneswar, themed “Collaborative Action: Strategies to Strengthen Emergency Care in India,” Dr. Biswas emphasized the initiative’s collaborative nature. The meeting brought together key stakeholders to strategize on enhancing emergency care.
Dr. Arvind Kumar Singh, Additional Professor at AIIMS Bhubaneswar, will lead a research team to develop and implement the model in collaboration with the state government.
Prominent attendees included Dr. Meenakshi Sharma (ICMR, New Delhi), Dr. Vishwajeet Kumar (CEL, Lucknow), Dr. Jeyaraj D Pandian (CMC Ludhiana), and Dr. Sitanshu Sekhar Kar (JIPMER, Puducherry), among others. Government officials from Odisha, including Dr. Bijay Kumar Mohapatra, Director of Health Services, and Dr. Nilakantha Mishra, Director of Public Health, were also present.
Dr. Ashutosh Biswas unveiled the Vision Document of INDIA EMS and Training Manuals, which advocate for integrating geo-tagging systems, IT, HR, and Health Management Information Systems (HMIS). He emphasized improvements in ambulance transport, advanced life support (ALS) facilities, immediate response capabilities, and community education on basic life support.
Dr. Bijay Kumar Mohapatra highlighted the need to enhance the emergency healthcare system in Odisha, while Dr. Nilakantha Mishra called for integrating INDIA-EMS with national programs and scaling it across all districts. Dr. Santosh Kumar Mishra addressed ambulance care gaps, stressing the need for better paramedic training and engagement.
Dr. Meenakshi Sharma provided an overview of the INDIA-EMS project, emphasizing the Hub & Spoke model and the application of AI in addressing seven critical emergency conditions. Dr. Vishwajeet Kumar underscored the role of implementation research in transforming emergency healthcare, advocating for a bottom-up approach to address barriers and health-seeking behaviour.
This initiative marks a significant advancement in India’s emergency healthcare system through collaborative efforts, cutting-edge technology, and comprehensive training, aiming to deliver timely and effective emergency care across the targeted districts.
