Emergency Medicine Was Recognised in India More Than 22 Years Ago
Sep 01, 2010

MD (Accident & Emergency Medicine) was first started in India by Sri Ramachandra Medical College (SRMC) Chennai in early 2000, followed by Vinayaka Missions University Salem. These institutes, which were training postgraduates in EM for many years, are currently awaiting Medical Council of India (MCI) approval for the recognition of their alumni, as well as, permission to continue their training.

The MCI had recently announced the recognition of emergency medicine as the 30th specialty on 21st July 2009 (Read our previous article). After this event, MCI approved MD (Emergency Medicine) is available at B.J.Medical College & NHL Hospital in Gujarat. There are no more than 6 seats here as of today. Other colleges, including AIIMS, are due to begin postgraduate training in EM.

However, the MCI Recommendations on Postgraduate Medical Education 1971 (revised upto 1988), showed that Accidental & Emergency Medicine was a recognised MD degree back then. It is listed as the 24th specialty. Whether it was officially removed or accidently missed in the updates of the Recommendations, is unknown.

It is finally left to speculation on why emergency medicine education has been neglected for more than 22 years in India.
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The 1988 document was forwarded by Dr. Augustine John who is a practicing emergency physician in India.
(EmergencyMedicine.in is not able to authenticate or provide the link to this document as it is not available on the MCI official website www.mciindia.org)
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College of Emergency Medicine Releases New Curriculum
Aug 13, 2010


The College of Emergency Medicine (CEM) United Kingdom released a new & updated curriculum for emergency medicine yesterday. One of the main changes immediately noticed is that the ACCS rotation, which was 2 years earlier, is now 3 years.

The document can be download from the CEM official website
www.collemergencymed.ac.uk
Curriculum and Assessment Systems For Core Specialty Training

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Renowned Magazine India Today Publishes Article on Emergency Medicine & EMS in India
August 06, 2010

Medical colleges are gearing up to launch the (MD in Emergency medicine) course. AIIMS, Christian Medical College (CMC) at Vellore, four colleges in Guwahati and Ahmedabad have joined the MD race. Emergency enthusiasts are coming together, bringing out new journals, lobbying the National Board of Examinations to recognise private courses and preparing textbooks. The frisson of excitement has hit full tilt. - India Today

Click here to read full article from India Today

References in India Today taken from our website EmergencyMedicine.in
Dr. Suresh David speaks on Past, Present & Future of EM in India (13 June 2009)
The Specialty of Emergency Medicine Officially Recognised in India (13 August 2009)
Network of Emergency Physicians, India (Developed & supported by EmergencyMedicine.in)
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Apollo Partners with XLRI to Conduct Management Programs

The Apollo Hospitals Group announced its partnership with XLRI Jamshedpur to conduct management programs for Apollo practicing managers, doctors, nurses and other allied professionals. Ms. Sangita Reddy, Executive Director - Operations, Apollo Group and Fr. E. Abraham S J, Director of XLRI (Xavier Labour Relations Institute) signed the MoU at Apollo Health City, Hyderabad today.

This unique tie-up is an initiative to address the need for professionally trained hospital managers who will be an important step to improve standards in managerial and functional areas of healthcare.

XLRI are pioneers in satellite based education programs, which bring professional training to the cities of the participants and does not disrupt their work, said Fr. Abraham - Director of XLRI.

There is a requirement in our country to double our doctors, triple our nurses and quadruple our paramedics. And to make sure that all work efficiently, we need healthcare management professionals. This tie up will go a long way in improving standards of patient care, said Dr. Pratap C. Reddy, Chairman of Apollo Group.

The programs enlisted for the initiative include
1) Post Graduate Certificate in General Management - 350hrs over 1 year
2) Executive Diploma in General Management & Health Care - 850hrs over 1 year

The classes will be delivered via satellite video links from XLRI Jamshedpur to Apollo Learning Centres at Hyderabad, Chennai, Bangalore, New Delhi, Kolkota, Madurai & Bilaspur. 60 individuals have been shortlisted for the training this year.

The format of the programs include fieldwork and a project in a rural setting in India, besides related hospital projects, which is indicative of the partnership's larger interest in fulfilling the need for making healthcare more inclusive.

Official website of XLRI
www.xlri.ac.in

Official website of Apollo Hospitals
www.apollohospitals.com
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Understaffing of Emergency Departments in United Kingdom

The College of Emergency Medicine (CEM), UK, is today calling on the next Government to address extreme understaffing of emergency departments (EDs) and ensure a high quality, guaranteed 24x7 point of access for patients.

The College says every ED needs a minimum of 10 emergency medicine consultants to be able to deal with the large number of patients who visit the ED per year. The current average number of EM consultants per ED is 4.2 and the average number of patients attending each ED is between 70-80,000 per annum. Increasing this number will mean more consultants in EDs at the evenings and weekends, ensuring highest standards of quality and safety. Significant cost benefits will also be achieved by helping to reduce expensive or inappropriate investigations, unnecessary admissions and unsafe discharges home.

Dr John Heyworth, President of the College of Emergency Medicine said, Emergency care in the United Kingdom is currently failing to deliver the service which the public expect and deserve. The single most important factor in providing a high quality, timely and clinically effective service to patients is care led by EM consultants.

A Matter of Emergency CEM Manifesto published 28th April 2010

Emergency Medicine Consultants - Workforce Recommendations
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