Ludhiana: ICMR assesses emergency medical system in district for improvements

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is evaluating the emergency medical system in the district to identify gaps and propose solutions to enhance its efficiency. This initiative is part of ICMR’s National Health Research Priority Project, launched recently, aimed at improving emergency services across the country.

Jeyaraj Pandian, who is leading the project in Ludhiana, said that the study is being conducted in five districts, including Vadodara, Puducherry, Bhopal, and Bhubaneswar. Ludhiana was selected based on a proposal submitted by Pandian, the principal of Christian Medical College, and a primary investigator of the project.

The ICMR team is assessing emergency services in both government and private hospitals and health centres across Ludhiana. “The team is collecting data on the experiences of patients who have encountered medical emergencies to understand the shortcomings in the current system. The focus of the research includes critical cases such as stroke, heart attacks, poisoning, snake bites, accidents, maternal and neonatal emergencies, and burns,” Pandian said.

Additionally, the team is evaluating ambulance services to determine areas for improvement. “We are assessing the ambulances to ensure they have the necessary features to provide care during transit, enabling patients to receive appropriate treatment once they arrive at the hospital,” Pandian added.

This project will continue for the next two years, with the team analysing collected data, implementing solutions, and assessing their impact on the emergency medical system in the district.

The aim of the project is to make the system more robust and capable of saving lives in critical situations.