Media Release
Nov 6 : The valedictory function of the first ever RGUHS – JeevaRaksha Trust’s Emergency Nursing and Life Support course (ENLS) was conducted at Father Muller College of Nursing (FMCON) on 6th Nov 2020. The course was conducted from 3-6 November 2020. On a virtual platform, the valedictory function for this course had as chief Guest Hon.Vice Chancellor Dr. S. Sacchidanand, MD, DVD, DHA, FRCP(Glasgow) of the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS), Bengaluru and guests of honor, Dr. Peter Taillac, emergency physician, Dr. M. A Balasubramanya, Managing Trustee, JeevaRaksha, Advisor, Community Processes and Comprehensive Primary Health Care, Ministry of health and Family Welfare, Government of India.
In person guests for this course’s valedictory were, the founder Trustee of JeevaRaksha Dr. Vijay Bhaskar Reddy, Associate Professor in University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA and Ms. Sunitha, Director Programme. The programme was presided by the Director of Father Muller Charitable Institutions (FMCI) Rev Fr Richard Aloysius Coelho.
Dr Devina Rodrigues, Vice Principal Father Muller College of Nursing welcomed the guest and gathering with a beautiful string of words giving a brief portfolio of the dignitaries.
Hon. Vice Chancellor RGUHS Dr. S. Sacchidanand acknowledged the accord given to him and congratulated the trainees for their participation through live virtual meet. He felt it a priveledge to be part of the event as he instructed the university to adopt the ECLS training into the curricula of MBBS students and now the ECNLS for the nursing curricula. The innovative, knowledge enhancing course is the first of its kind in the nation for nurses which makes them the Master Trainers. He thanked the management of Father Muller’s for always being always a step ahead in their works and deeds. The hunger and passion of its faculty knows no bounds concluding that the course was a step into a next chapter in excellent nursing care.
Dr. M. A Balasubramanya in his pre-recorded message gave a brief look into the birth of the Jeeva Raksha and the adopting of this course by the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences and now by the Ministry of health and Family Welfare in its Ayush centers for health and wellness of country. He applauded the efforts of the nursing fraternity and mentioned future opportunities of Community Health Officers for them in the new vision in healthcare by the Government of India.
Chairperson of the Father Muller Skills and Simulation Centre Dr JP Alva who also adorns the office of the Dean FMMC, nudged the trained trainers to spread the knowledge gained, tuning it up and help in its utilization. He reiterated the words of the VC RGUHS that the Management of the Father Muller Charitable Institution left no stone unturned to improve the infrastructure and help in advancing its staff. He thanked the in-house Jeeva Raksha coordinator Dr Sumanth for his untiring efforts for the events. The dedication of Dr Lulu and Dr Rithesh in handling the simulation centre has borne numerous fruits through which innumerable lives have been saved.
Director FMCI Rev Fr Richard Coelho in his presidential address maintained the holiness in life being a virtue of the gift of God. Life from conception to death has to be saved at all cost. He congratulated the 27 torch bearers of the course and desired that they spread the light of knowledge they learnt far and wide. He promised that in a year the Simulation centre at Father Muller’s will be a place of technology anew next to none.
The vote of thanks was rendered by Ms Reena Frank and the event compeered by Ms Sonia Dsouza of the nursing faculty. The faculty trainers were Dr Sumath, Dr Lulu, Dr Nicole, Dr Sailajha Katti, Dr Sailajha S, Dr Sourabh, Dr Sudheer, Dr Karen, Dr Rashmi, Dr Joylene, Dr Manohar, Dr Ritesh all from the Father Muller Medical College who are the Master Trainers for the course.
Research studies indicate that inadequate provision of pre-hospital emergency care, poor triage system for incoming patients, and inappropriate transport, jeopardized the lives of these patients. Presently, very few in the citizenry are trained to be first responders. Even medical students and post-graduates in training are taught to focus on making the right diagnosis and less on principles of triage and emergency management.
To address this gap, in June 2014, Jeeva Raksha programme was initiated collaboratively by Karnataka State Health University – Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS), and Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement, Mysuru in technical collaboration with University of Utah, USA. This stressed on the need of the curricula to be broad based and address all common emergencies that they encounter, namely, Cardiac, Respiratory, Obstetric, Paediatric including Neonates, Trauma, Burns, Poisoning including animal and insect bites.
JeevaRaksha course focuses on recognizing and managing critical illnesses that are common in the Indian setting as mentioned above. This is not only India’s first Comprehensive Emergency Care and Life Support (C-ECLS) training of four days course for medical doctors (for both primary practitioners and specialists), but also the FIRST university recognizing Emergency Care Skills Certificate programme in the World.
The programme was formally inaugurated on June 23, 2014 by the then Governor of Karnataka, Dr Hansraj Bhardwaj and was attended by Dr Vedprakash Mishra, the then chairman of the Academic Committee of Medical Council of India.
The university has also mandated that the one-day Basic Care Life Support Course (BCLS) for all including AYUSH practitioners, Physiotherapists, Allied sciences etc candidates to successfully complete the course are certified by the university and only then they are given their graduation certificate. The RGUHS JeevaRaksha ECLS and BCLS certificates are valid for five years (extendable by a refresher course).
Keeping up with the current pandemic, RGUHS and JeevaRaksha have also initiated a COVID Crash Course (in-class and online) to facilitate all doctors, interns, PGs and nurses in effectively managing COVID patients.
There was high demand from nursing students and faculty alike, to provide a nursing-specific course along the lines of ECLS to deal with the challenges nurses face while caring for patients attending with emergencies. The vice-chancellor, Dr S Sacchidanand on December 20, 2019, directed to create a course catering to emergency nursing components to improve the mortality and morbidity among acute medical-surgical and trauma patients attending Emergency departments across the state. The RGUHS-JeevaRaksha Team along with nurses from academic, clinical, administrative and primary care background have devised a course curriculum which has been submitted to the Government of India for nationwide uptake.
RGUHS has made this three-day course in Emergency Nursing and Life Support (ENLS) mandatory for all the BSc Nursing final year students from 2021. The degree certificate will be issued only after the successful completion of this programme.
The course is being attended by faculties from seven Nursing colleges of Mangaluru hosted by Father Muller College of Nursing. Fr Ajith B Menezes administrator of the Father Muller Medical College, Sr Janet D’Souza CNO, Mrs Jasmine Principal of the Father Muller School of Nursing and Dr Kelvin Pais Liaison Officer were in attendance.
