Pow wow on A&E policy

The main thrust of the one-day ‘Policy decisions/Strategic planning conference’ sponsored by the WHO was the establishment of Apex Centres and A&E Services at nominated priority state hospitals, while developing pre-hospital emergency care services such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training among the community, setting-up of hotlines and ambulance transportation services.

Among the 60 participants were high-level officials of the Health Ministry, Directors of major hospitals, clinical and academic experts and representatives of the WHO, professional colleges, Sri Lanka Medical Association, Government Medical Officers’ Association, armed services, Simulation Centre, Red Cross, St. John’s Ambulance and major private hospitals in Colombo.

Many of the Strategic Objectives are directly linked to the development of an A&E Service and included hospital-based A&E and pre-hospital emergency care. While hospital A&E unit development will be by the Health Ministry, the pre-hospital care will involve the training and participation of the public, the Police and armed services, service organizations such as St. John’s Ambulance and Red Cross and telecommunication authorities.

The only invitee from outside Sri Lanka, the Charitable Health Fund of Melbourne, Australia, presented the document ‘Prehospital emergency care – a Melbourne perspective’. Noting the large number of lives lost before arrival at a hospital, trauma and coronary disease heading the list, its representative Dr. Ranjith Hettiarachi detailed a proposal to train the public in emergency care, setting up hotlines and answering services, ambulance services and liaison with a public hospital A&E.

The Charitable Health Fund was requested to assist St. John’s Ambulance in CPR & Basic Life Support training of the community.