Divvy Kant Upadhyay
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (GA)

Mangalore, Jan 10: A Continuing Medical Education (CME) programme on basic Mechanical Ventilation was conducted jointly by the Department of Medicine of Kasturba Medical College (KMC) and the Indian Society of Critical Care Medicine at KMC Hospital Attavar recently. 

KMC dean Dr C V Raghuveer presided over the function. Inaugurating the CME he stressed upon critical care medicine being a very important sub-speciality which needs to be developed in the country. He encouraged young graduates to consider it as a potential career option. The programme included lectures and hands on experience on ventilation given by resource persons that included Dr Sudhesh Rao, Dr Murali, Dr Santhosh Soans, Dr B S Baliga and Dr Leslie among others. 

 The CME was attended by more than 125 physicians, anesthetists and paediatricians. Dr Chakrapani, Dr Damodar Shenoy and their team co-ordinated in organizing the CME. KMC Assoc Dean Dr MV Prabhu and Medicine HoD Dr Sydney D'Souza were present at the CME. 

The CME comes at a time when Emergency Medicine is gradually being recognized as a separate sub-specialty in the country. Accidents and trauma cases still count as one of the leading causes for death in our country. The recently declared 11th government development plan has provisions for improving trauma care facilities across the country. Emergency Medicine or advanced trauma care was established as a separate entity in the western countries over the last decade. In India it is yet to be recognized as a separate specialty course as there is still no medical college in the country which provides masters degree, training in the particular branch. Senior doctors opined that efforts by doctors and institutes of this region in conducting such CMEs promote the need for attention and significance that this branch deserves.