KATHMANDU: Nepalis are gradually recovering from the trauma of the earthquake and it’s aftershocks that took away many lives. Natural calamity like this with mass casualty is obviously difficult to manage for proper attention to the affected on the spot even, so medical professionals should be prepared and should have the management skills.

With an aim to prepare the professionals to have the confidence and skills to manage during such difficult times ‘Trauma, Resuscitation and Mass Casualty Management’, three-day long medical training programme organised by Nyanopan, NGO began on September 21 with an inauguration ceremony at Indreni Complex, New Baneshwor. After the ceremony the training will take place at Share and Care Training Center, Badegaun on the same date.

In the programme experts from University of Texas Health Science Center, USA — Dr Andrew E Muck, Dr Christopher Kollu FAAEM, Dr Adam Balls among others as well as special guest— Dr Gopichand Patnaik, Dean and Principal of Maharishi Markandeshwara Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, India and participating medical professionals from India and Nepal, were given a warm welcome.

About the training the Chairman of Nyanopan, Captain Vijay Lama shared, “This is the beginning and we will try to incorporate this training in high schools. The training is all about preparedness and making sure this knowledge is imparted well because health is wealth. Life is important and saving life is important. You save one life and it’s like universe is saved because you don’t know what that life can give to the universe.”

Adding about the aim of the programme Dr Bivek Singh Rathore, Vice Chairman and organising secretary of the programme cleared, “The training will equip the medical professionals and will make them capable to handle the disaster in future.”

There were five participants from India and 20 from Nepal who are young doctors/medical interns/medical students/nurse/paramedics. Among them was Aanchal Chaudhary, an intern at KIST Medical College. “Training about mass casualty management is rare in Nepal and the trainers are experts from abroad. Hopefully after training I can also be prepared to tackle mass casualty and gain from their experiences as well.”

When asked if three-day training is sufficient to gain knowledge about trauma, resuscitation and mass casualty management, Dr Muck explained, “There are certain things about trauma, and we can teach only fundamental things that can save many lives like resuscitation can make it easier to breathe. It will help dramatically and help save lives. Although three days are not enough to teach someone to be a doctor or highest level trauma surgeon, I could teach fundamental things and hopefully it will help and also establish relationship. The training focuses on immediate response to trauma and what to do if you don’t have lot of medical supplies where with minimum resources how to deliver good, knowing how to order and who to help to maximise the best outcome possible. And I hope to learn from them as well.”