Unique academy set up to develop skill of Tripura health staff

In its endeavour to provide better healthcare facilities within the state, the Tripura government has set up a unique academy to facilitate the training of quality manpower in the region's health sector.

The Health Skills Academy in Gandhigram is run by IL and FS and is engaged in not only up-skilling existing hospital staff like doctors, nurses and paramedics using innovative approaches on their job role by giving them wider exposure in the clinical area but is also training fresh candidates those interested in join the health care sector in future.

This centre is expected to help the state with adequate skilled manpower to dispense the duties in the growing health sector and especially during emergencies like disaster.

Training is being imparted as per the existing standards of the Health Sector Skill Council under National Skill Development Council for vocational courses and industry partner affiliated courses for higher level courses.

The courses has been designed at three levels - basics for students who are 10th or 12th pass, middle level for students with specialization in science and who are taught dialysis technician, radiography, emergency medical technician and the third for nurses and doctors like ultrasound, NICU care, OT nursing, critical care nursing, emergency nursing and emergency medicine course.

The theory teachings are followed by simulation lab classes, where real life events are created to acquire hand on experience in advanced clinical procedures like bio medical waste management, trauma management, scenario for myocardial infarction, various emergencies, exposure to emergency equipment, crash cart, ventilator care, pain management, neurological assessment, defibrillator, handling end of life, hospital disaster management etc.

The training has strengthen the knowledge and skills of the trainees in handling medical and surgical emergencies like gastroenterology, cardiology, neurology, nephrology, neonatal and paediatrics emergencies etc besides infusion equipment, BLS, ACLS, ECG interpretation, cardiac monitor etc.

"I am a government staff nurse and I am doing three months nursing course with IL&FS. The reason being doing this course is that we know many things but not in a systematic manner. In this training we are learning how during in an emergency we should act and can give service. Here we are taught exactly what we should do in case of an accident; we know all these by the details how we should act at a particular crisis," said Bina Ray, a nurse.

Special emphasis has been given during the training on emergency response during disaster espically earthquake in the background of Tripura lying within seismic zone five, the most vulnerable one.

"I am a final semester student B. Com and here I am taking health training on general duty assistant at the IL&FS health skill academy. There is no assurance that after completion of my graduation I shall get a job but this training may help in getting a job side-by-side the knowledge will also help to keep my family and locality healthy. I thank IL&FS for giving scope to unemployed people like me for this training and here the teachers are very careful in imparting the training. They are teaching in details every aspect how to perform duty and also be real healthy.," said a Tapan Das, a Trainee.

The academy has commenced its operations since August 2015 and already more than 200 candidates have been trained so far in the academy including four batches of general duty assistant (GDA), two batches of emergency nursing and one batch of medical officers in emergency medicine.

After successful completion of six weeks theory and simulation training at the centre for further strengthen their knowledge and skills in handling medical and surgical emergencies the medical officers were sent to Max Hospitals at New Delhi while the nursing staffs were trained at CMRI and Medica Super Speciality hospitals in Kolkata.