Another Bitter Truth of the Healthcare System: Revelation During Training at IGIMS; 80 Percent of Doctors in Bihar's PHCs Do Not Know the Correct Method of CPR, Sadar Hospital Physicians Also Learning the Skill
A highly shocking and concerning report has emerged regarding Bihar's healthcare system and the medical services provided to patients at the rural level. Doctors from various Primary Health Centers (PHCs) and Sadar hospitals across Bihar are currently being called to the prestigious Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS) in the capital city of Patna for special training. These doctors are arriving at IGIMS in turns to receive training in modern medical techniques.
During this training session, a startling fact came to light that has exposed the claims of the health department. According to reports, 80 percent of doctors posted in PHCs (Primary Health Centers) do not even know the correct method of 'CPR' (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation), which is considered extremely vital for saving a patient's life in an emergency. This revelation not only raises a major question mark on the quality of medical education but also highlights the hanging threat to the lives of ordinary patients seeking treatment in rural areas. Let us analyze in detail this grave matter, its causes, and this ongoing training campaign in the health department.
Background: Why Are Doctors Receiving Special Training at IGIMS?
The Health Department of Bihar realized that doctors posted at the grassroots level—meaning primary health centers (PHCs) and referral hospitals in rural areas—urgently need to be made proficient in critical care and emergency medical management.
Strengthening Emergency Services: Knowledge of 'Basic Life Support' (BLS) and 'Advanced Cardiac Life Support' (ACLS) is considered mandatory for every doctor to provide an immediate response to a heart attack, sudden respiratory arrest, or any accident.
IGIMS's Role: With this objective, physicians from Sadar hospitals and PHCs across various districts of Bihar are being sent to IGIMS in batches so that life-saving skills can be taught to them under the supervision of specialist doctors.
Shocking Revelation: 80% of PHC Doctors Do Not Know CPR
When training commenced at IGIMS and a practical assessment of the doctors was conducted, the figures that emerged were deeply terrifying.
Lack of Basic CPR Knowledge: CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) is the first and most crucial procedure to artificially restart a patient's stopped breathing or halted heartbeat. If a patient receives CPR in the correct manner during the 'golden hours', the chances of survival increase manifold. However, the assessment found that 80 percent of doctors working in rural PHCs do not even know how to administer CPR with the correct pressure, technique, and speed.
Risk to Patients' Lives: Imagine that a common patient from a village reaches a PHC in a critical condition relying on a doctor; if that very doctor lacks knowledge of a life-saving procedure like CPR, the patient's life is left entirely to the hands of fate.
Why Did Such a Situation Arise? Flaws in Medical Education and the System
Following this revelation, discussions have intensified among health experts and administrative circles regarding why such a situation has arisen.
Difference Between Theory and Practice: While CPR and emergency management are taught in books during medical studies, doctors lose practical experience over years of merely prescribing medications for common colds or stomachaches in OPDs.
Lack of Refresher Courses: A major reason for this is the failure of the health department to periodically organize such refresher courses or mandatory training camps for rural doctors. Unless doctors keep themselves updated with modern techniques in their practice, their competencies begin to degrade.
Participation of Doctors from Sadar Hospitals and PHCs
Even though the initial figures are alarming, the reassuring part is that the government and the IGIMS administration have now taken concrete steps in this direction.
Doctors Arriving in Turns: According to the roster, physicians from Sadar hospitals and PHCs of various districts in Bihar, including Muzaffarpur, are reaching IGIMS to become part of this training.
Importance of Training: During this training, doctors are not only being taught CPR but are also being instructed on how to handle critically ill patients during the initial hours at the hospital before they are shifted to the ICU.
This training being undertaken by doctors from Bihar's PHCs and Sadar hospitals at IGIMS is a positive step, but the accompanying truth—that "80 percent of doctors do not know the correct method of CPR"—mirrors the ground reality of our healthcare system. It indicates that running hospitals merely on paper will not suffice; rather, making every doctor at PHCs, who are considered the backbone of rural health services, fully proficient in emergency medicine is mandatory. If emphasis is not laid on the skill training of doctors in time, the threat looming over the lives of rural patients will persist.
