ICMR Begins Work on Advanced Emergency Care Systems
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has started work on the National Health Research Priority Project, aiming to develop advanced emergency care systems, including immediate treatment for heart attack and brain stroke patients. Officials announced this initiative on Wednesday.
Key Points:
- Pilot Locations: The project will be piloted in five locations: Puri (Odisha), Ludhiana (Punjab), Vidisha (Madhya Pradesh), Vadodara (Gujarat), and Pondicherry.
- National Consultation: A three-day national consultation conference, involving stakeholders, was held at AIIMS-Bhubaneswar to establish the project's modalities. The project work was formally launched in Puri during this conference, which concluded on Tuesday.
- Funding and Support: ICMR will fund the project, AIIMS-Bhubaneswar will provide technical support, and the state government will handle logistics and manpower.
Project Goals:
- Enhanced Emergency Care: The project aims to enhance emergency care by improving logistics, boosting healthcare provider competencies, integrating IT and AI tools, and mapping facilities.
- Training and Community Engagement: The key components include improving ambulance services, increasing community demand, and training first-level responders.
- Addressing Critical Emergencies: The project will focus on seven critical emergencies: heart attack, brain stroke, trauma, snake bite, poisoning, respiratory emergencies, and neonatal and maternal emergencies.
A research team led by Dr. Arvind Kumar Singh, an additional professor at AIIMS-Bhubaneswar, has been assembled to develop and implement this model in partnership with the state government. Dr. Ashutosh Biswas, Executive Director of AIIMS-Bhubaneswar, emphasized the project's importance in improving emergency care infrastructure and response capabilities across India.