MIST-Sevagram (MGIMS Institute for Simulation-based Training) has successfully completed a three-day session on the third AHA accredited BLS and ACLS course on 18th September 2016.
Accredited by the American heart association, this training course on the basic (BLS) and advanced (ACLS) life support skills was conducted to teach health care providers the basic and advanced life support skills. Total of 22 participants were trained for Basic life support course and 11 participants were trained for Advanced Cardiac life support course. Tactical support from TACT Chennai - a provider of simulation based small group education and training for healthcare professionals, was provided. Technicians from operation theater, undergraduate students, interns, postgraduates and faculty participated in the workshop.
On 16th September 2016, Dr Dhiraj Bhandari—associate professors in Anaesthesiology at the Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Sewagram and centre coordinators for MIST-Sewagram—joined hands with AHA-lead instructor Ms Lydia Agnes to teach participants the basics of resuscitation. Dr Sumedh Jajoo, assistant professor in medicine also joined the team as instructor for this course.
They used novel video- based techniques to help participants acquire skills in basic life support that could save dying kids and adults. Among other things, the participants learnt how to use correctly Automated Electronic Defibrillators (AED) and how to relieve a choking adult and a baby. After the six hours of intense training, participants took theory and practical tests that assessed their knowledge and skills. The latest state of art mannequins were used to help participants get a better picture of the real life scenario.
Giving the insights about the course, Dr Bhandari said, “A person having cardiac arrest has 10-20% chances of revival with the lifesaving skills taught in these courses.” “A layman can also learn how to recognize cardiac arrest, how to inform to the hospital and to give chest compression and breathing to a adult / child and a baby of less than 1 year of age with cardiac arrest”, he added. Expressing his gratitude towards the management and his department, Dr Bhandari also took pride in having almost all the senior residents and faculty as BLS and ACLS providers.
Hoping to conduct the next workshop soon, Dr Sumedh Jajoo expressed the need to acquire these lifesaving skills and said, “only an effective basic life support can increase the chances of revival of patient when advanced cardiac life support is given”, hence stated the motto of MIST-Sevagram”.