Nepal Mediciti runs advanced retrieval medicine training with Scotland’s EMRS for the first time in Nepal

KATHMANDU: Nepal Mediciti Hospital, in partnership with Scotland’s Emergency Medical Retrieval Service (EMRS), has launched 'Advanced Retrieval Medicine Training and Training for Trainers programme', the first of its kind in Nepal. The course began on March 23 and will run until April 10, hospital officials said.

The programme is designed to improve the safe transfer and in-flight care of critically ill patients during helicopter rescues. It includes practical exercises and mock tests on moving patients safely, positioning them inside helicopters and providing necessary care during the journey, Dr Sanjaya Karki, Chief of Emergency and High Altitude Services at Nepal Mediciti, said.

“Nepal is a land of helicopters,” Dr Karki said, citing the country’s terrain, limited rural road access, the need for mountaineering rescues and high-altitude flights. He added that as many patients still need to travel to Kathmandu for intensive care, “it is necessary to deploy mandatory doctors in heli-rescues or have helicopters dedicated specifically for treatment.”

Hospital figures show seven hospitals in Nepal have heli-roofs and that heli-rescue for treatment began in 2013. Nepal Mediciti reported that 1,767 patients have been rescued and treated via helicopter to date, with hospital doctors deployed in 1,198 of those missions. During the Covid19 pandemic, the hospital said it rescued and treated 210 people by helicopter.

At the training inauguration, Dr Prakash Budhathoki, spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) and chief of Health Emergency Operation Center (HEOC), outlined government efforts to expand emergency medical capacity. He noted that while 1,700 ambulances operate by road in Nepal, very few carry doctors and that the country currently has 104 trained doctors and medics for such services.

“While 1,700 ambulances in Nepal rescue patients by road, very few of these ambulances have doctors. We only have 104 trained doctors and medics. To increase this number, we have been training ambulance drivers, technicians, and others. Similarly, we are also providing basic survival training,” Dr Budhathoki said. He added that the government is preparing workshops and laws for heli-ambulance services and rescue, and is striving to provide free emergency services to all Nepalis.

The programme features expert trainers from Scotland and invited specialists from Switzerland, India and Japan. Speakers and trainers include Prof Dr Monika Brodmann Maeder, India’s Padma Shri awardee Dr Subroto Das, Associate Professor Takashi Ishizaki, Dr Stephen Hearns, Dr Ryan McHenry, Dr Steven Rainey, Julie Cathcart and David Carson.

Diplomatic and institutional representatives at the event included the Ambassador of Switzerland to Nepal, Dr Danielle Meuwly, and delegates from the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoCTCA), the Indian, Japanese, Bangladeshi, German, Chinese and Israeli embassies, JICA, the World Health Organisation, and the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN).

About 30 health workers and staff from hospitals and organisations involved in pre-hospital care and emergency medical services are participating in the programme. Represented institutions include Norvic International Hospital, HAMS Hospital, Grande International Hospital, Vayodha Hospitals, Nepal Police, the Armed Police Force, Nepal Army Hospital and Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital.

Dr Upendra Mahato, chairman of Nepal Mediciti Hospital, said the training will strengthen cooperation among health institutions and stakeholders and raise the country’s health service standards to international norms. He said the hospital’s long-term vision is to ensure quality health services by providing international-level training, and that offering free training will expand opportunities and access.

Nepal Mediciti's CEO, Dr Amit Tomar, said the Emergency Medical Retrieval Service programme will support Nepali health workers in delivering higher quality services for the safe transfer, management and treatment of patients, and urged all parties to apply the skills and knowledge gained during the training.

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