Pre-hospital care: Emergency medical technicians course launched
Call for setting up an accreditation council for the programme
PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD:
The Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRC) on Monday launched a course to train individuals in the skills needed to save lives in an emergency situation.
The emergency medical technicians course introduced by the society is part of pre-hospital care and is the first such initiative in the country, said a press release.
The one year course has been launched in collaboration with the Disaster Relief by Irish and Pakistani (DRIP), Ireland, in affiliation with the National Ambulance Services College, Dublin, and Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council, University College Dublin.
Faculty members from the University of Dublin Macartan Hughes, Dr Shane Knox and Dr Gerard Bury attended the launch ceremony.
National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination Minister Saira Afzal Tarar hailed the step. She hoped that the trained staff would be able to serve the people more efficiently.
PRCS Chairperson Dr Saeed Elahi said standardised emergency care for patients was the need of the hour as most lives were lost in the first 10 minutes of any emergency, be it heart attack, stroke, shock or trauma.
He hinted that the PRCS also aimed at launching a master’s degree programme in emergency care.
“In Pakistan, the importance of emergency services is greatly undermined and even in the best of facilities, it is merely an extension of inpatient departments rather than a specialty in itself,” said Dr Elahi.
He said remarked that the PRCS would introduce basic and advanced life support as compulsory courses besides initiating a master’s programme in emergency care in collaboration with the University College Dublin.
National Ambulance Service College Vice-Chancellor Malik Hussain Mubashir told The Express Tribune that there was no accreditation council for the programme in the country, and that there must be one.
He said that they had enrolled a batch of 50 students in emergency medical technician course for one year. “Keeping in view the number of applicants, evening sessions are also under consideration,” Mubashir said.
Ireland’s Institute of Learning Emergency Medicine Project Director Dr Khurram Shahzad said that the courses were designed and delivered with a hands-on approach.
“Students will be encouraged to practice and demonstrate both the skills and the knowledge necessary to save lives,” he added.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 3rd, 2015.
The Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRC) on Monday launched a course to train individuals in the skills needed to save lives in an emergency situation.
The emergency medical technicians course introduced by the society is part of pre-hospital care and is the first such initiative in the country, said a press release.
The one year course has been launched in collaboration with the Disaster Relief by Irish and Pakistani (DRIP), Ireland, in affiliation with the National Ambulance Services College, Dublin, and Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council, University College Dublin.
Faculty members from the University of Dublin Macartan Hughes, Dr Shane Knox and Dr Gerard Bury attended the launch ceremony.
National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination Minister Saira Afzal Tarar hailed the step. She hoped that the trained staff would be able to serve the people more efficiently.
PRCS Chairperson Dr Saeed Elahi said standardised emergency care for patients was the need of the hour as most lives were lost in the first 10 minutes of any emergency, be it heart attack, stroke, shock or trauma.
He hinted that the PRCS also aimed at launching a master’s degree programme in emergency care.
“In Pakistan, the importance of emergency services is greatly undermined and even in the best of facilities, it is merely an extension of inpatient departments rather than a specialty in itself,” said Dr Elahi.
He said remarked that the PRCS would introduce basic and advanced life support as compulsory courses besides initiating a master’s programme in emergency care in collaboration with the University College Dublin.
National Ambulance Service College Vice-Chancellor Malik Hussain Mubashir told The Express Tribune that there was no accreditation council for the programme in the country, and that there must be one.
He said that they had enrolled a batch of 50 students in emergency medical technician course for one year. “Keeping in view the number of applicants, evening sessions are also under consideration,” Mubashir said.
Ireland’s Institute of Learning Emergency Medicine Project Director Dr Khurram Shahzad said that the courses were designed and delivered with a hands-on approach.
“Students will be encouraged to practice and demonstrate both the skills and the knowledge necessary to save lives,” he added.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 3rd, 2015.