|
 |
 |
|
| The Economic Times, Madras Plus, February 2007 |
| Doc Talk |
AID to +AID
ET M+ takes a look at the latest medical revolution to hit Chennai...
This story is about child’s play in a sense. Once upon a time, in the 1940s, a Norwegian, Asmund S Laerdal grounded a company that crafted dolls. Inspired by the tale of a damsel who drowned herself in the Seine in the 1800s, Laerdal contrived Resusci Anne, a manikin as an aid to impart resuscitation techniques. Laerdal’s outfit has since grown to mastermind the Sim-Man - a simulated manikin - a realistic doll that breathes, has disposable skin and body parts, and comes with cans of blood that can flow through his system. He can also be triggered to experience emergency circs so much so that a surgery can be performed on him. Incidentally, one can change the sex of the Sim-Man, so that s/he can even deliver a baby!
The Sim-Man is a revolution. But, one would have conjectured that our teaching hospitals that suffice with the manual manikins would have grabbed him. Perplexingly not. The first Sim-Man in India has just been commissioned two weeks ago. His residence is on the first floor of a quotidian Anna Nagar dwelling that houses The Academy for Clinical Training - TACT. This Sim-Man’s custodian in Chennai is the gentle, hospitable, gifted (how else can one describe his 16 gold medals from Stanley Medical College, a ’thank you’ in person from the President of India for returning to serve our land post picking up in the US qualifications ranging from sleep to medical management) critical care specialist Dr. N Ramakrishnan.
Ramakrishnan has founded TACT to afford rehearsing on naturalistic figurines the minutiae of medicine. "Ethically dead bodies should only be used in an anatomy class", Dr Akila Janardhanam, an associate director of TACT tells us, just as we convince our consideration that perhaps Indian medical institutions have hitherto not procured a simman because besides investment issues there is no dearth of cases in our teaching hospitals. At present, the Sim-Man at TACT is equipped only to simulate critical conditions. "We have ploughed in Rs60 lacs into this facility, half of which covers the cost of the Sim-Man. The recurring expenses are several. For example, the disposable skin, the cans of blood etc. Expenditure apart, what is more vital is that at TACT we have the advantage of a dedicated faculty," informs Ramakrishnan. His Sim-Man lies in a convincing milieu, replete with hospitable bed, stretcher et al. Close circuit cameras are positioned to transmit pictures of students practising on the Sim-Man to the tutor’s room and to the rest of the class outside. The teacher can tease his pupils by introducing more complications. "To illustrate, when a ventilator is being inserted, the Sim-Man can be forced to vomit," smiles Ramakrishnan.
TACT has also included as part of their package, an e-learning medical software. For the moment, since Ramakrishnan’s forte is critical care, TACT will coach batches of 30 students at a time only in the founder’s métier. Using other non-simulated manikins, TACT is drafting courses in first aid for the public.
"My vision is that what NIIT did to computer education I wish to do for the medical fraternity," avers Ramakrishnan. "But for that I will have to get together a team of like minded doctors from various specialties.”
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
