WHO Launches Mass Casualty Management Training in India at AIIMS

The WHO Academy has initiated its first Mass Casualty Management (MCM) Training of Trainers (TOT) Programme at AIIMS in New Delhi. This course aims to prepare emergency units for handling critical situations involving mass casualties effectively.

By Shalini Bhardwaj: The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched its inaugural Mass Casualty Management (MCM) Training of Trainers (TOT) Programme for emergency units at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) trauma centre in New Delhi.

Developed by the WHO Academy, the programme aims to equip frontline healthcare personnel, including doctors, nurses, logistics support staff, and technicians, for managing mass casualty situations. Professor Kamran Farooque, Chief of JPNATC AIIMS trauma centre, emphasized the course's potential to save lives during critical incidents. 'Our team, with experience from crisis zones like Somalia and Iraq, will train faculty here to disseminate this critical knowledge nationwide,' he said.

The five-day course includes three days of instruction and two days of practical training, with participation from AIIMS branches in New Delhi, Jodhpur, Patna, and Jammu. Dr. Harald Veen, the course lead, explained the necessity of resource allocation during mass casualty events, stressing the importance of implementing a mass casualty management model developed by international experts. 'This system is crucial for hospitals to adapt their patient management policies during exceptional situations,' he commented.

Dr. Ali Mehdi from Kent and Canterbury Hospital, UK, highlighted the significance of saving even a single life, considering the event a landmark for India. According to WHO, the course prepares learners to adopt an 'all hazards' approach, ensuring readiness for various emergency scenarios.