JK News Today
Jammu, March 16:
Acharya Shri Chander College of Medical Sciences & Hospital, (ASCOMS & H) Sidhra, Jammu signed an MOU with International Medical Sciences Academy (IMSA) academic partners of Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons of Glasgow, UK for starting a post PG fellowship programme in “Critical Care Medicine” under the Deptt. of Anaesthesiology & Critical Care. ASCOMS is the first institute in State of J&K to have partnered with international Academy/College to start any medical course in the state. An MOU to this effect was signed between Dr. Pavan Malhotra, Director Principal, ASCOMS, Dr. Nandita Mehta, Prof & HOD Anaesthesiology & Critical Care and Course Coordinator for the fellowship programme and Dr. K. Jagadeesan, Registrar, Overseas (South East Asia), Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons of Glasgow and Dr. R.K.Thukral, Executive Director, International Medical Sciences Academy in the presence of other dignitaries in a short but impressive function held at India International Centre, New Delhi yesterday.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Malhotra at the outset thanked the officials of IMSA & Royal College to have selected ASCOMS & H as one of their centres for imparting training to the medical professionals in this highly demanding field of Critical Care Medicine. This fellowship will go a long way in providing trained intensivists to serve the humanity. This specialty is a relatively young specialty in Medicine, which is a hybrid specialty blending the knowledge and skills of internal medicine, respiratory medicine and anaesthesiology. In critical care, patients with life threatening illness resulting in organ failure are supported by artificial means (oxygen, ventilator support, inotropes, and dialysis) till their recovery. The demand for Critical Care has been rising and is likely to do so in the near future because of increasing age of the Indian population, multiple co-morbidities, increasing roads trauma and the increase in invasive interventions. It is well documented that trained intensivists improve outcome of critically ill patients admitted in the ICU. Intensive Care is short of trained personnel to meet the demand, Dr. Malhotra said. Dr. Jagadeesan, while addressing the gathering assured the Director Principal, ASCOMS & Hospital of all possible help to be extended from Royal College to encourage all such academic programmes in future also. He also suggested that this programme will be covered under Medical Training Initiative of RCPSG to train medical professionals in the designated fields. Highlighting the aim of starting this programme, Dr. Jagadeesan informed that such programmes were important to acquire sufficient clinical experience and technical skill to identify and handle complex clinical problems and disease encountered in the intensive care unit and also to acquire knowledge and mastery of the medical technology used in the intensive care units to develop the ability to take full responsibility for the quality of management of the critically ill patients and to work in a multidisciplinary team.
Dr. Thukral in his address appreciated the efforts of TEAM ASCOMS for coming forward and joining hands with IMSA and RCPSG for starting an academic programme first of its kind in the country. He also informed that it took almost two years to finalize the proposal with all the modalities being discussed at length after which signing of MOU was possible. He further emphasized that such academic partnership will be helpful to complement the existing education programmes, supplement with avenues of continuing education programmes, consolidate the conceptual base of aspirants, facilitate the learning process, impart specialized education and facilitate the learning process across the country through its global presence which is the goal of IMSA.
The authorities of ASCOMS disclosed that the programme will be starting from the coming academic year, i.e. 2018 after completing all the codal formalities set up by IMSA & RCPSG. An advertisement for admission will be uploaded on the College Website soon to initiate the process of selection.
Dr. Nandita Mehta, Prof & Head, Anaesthesiology & Critical Care said that ASCOMS is starting this Fellowship Programme in Critical Care to fill up the need for intensivists. It is a one year course with postings in Medical, Surgical, Neurology/Neurosurgery and Paediatric ICUs. In addition there will be postings in Radiology, Echocardiography, Dialysis and other areas which are essential for the management of these patients. The training is an in-service training programme which ensures adequate exposure to all types of critical illness and their management. The skills needed in the care of critically ill patients will be acquired during the training period. These skills include not only manual skills but also the “soft skills” – the invaluable experience of communicating to grieving and anxious families and of working as an intensive care team. At the end of the course, there will be an exit exam conducted at Acharya Shri Chander College of Medical Sciences & Hospital, Sidhra, Jammu.
