Hospital AIIMS for record

AIIMS-Patna on Sunday made an attempt to register its name in the Guinness World Records by training 3,200 people in first-aid care at Siwan's Rajendra Stadium, around 145km northwest of Patna.

Emirates Transport (United Arab Emirates) holds the record, for training 1,700 people in first aid atthe AbuDhabiNational Theatre on April 27, 2013.

"We expected around 2,500 participants but the response turned out to be better with 3,200 people turning up," said Anil Kumar, a senior doctor of AIIMS-Patna and coordinator of the hospital's telemedicine programme.

Around 1,500 women, including sub-inspectors, health workers and housewives cutting across age groups participated in the AIIMS-Patna programme. Excitement was writ large on their faces as they started turning up at the venue from 8am.

The district administration, the disaster management department and non-government organisations Arjun and Srishti Foundation helped AIIMS-Patna by providing logistical help and manpower. A sum of Rs 15 lakh was spent for the event that started at 11am and lasted for six hours.

Anil said the hospital had started preparing for the event from January, soon after it applied to the Guinness World Records.

Arrangements

"Seven big screens had been put in place so that people sitting at the back could see and listen to the trainers," said AIIMS-Patna surgeon Sanjeev Kumar. "Besides, 12 CCTV cameras, four high-definition cameras, four professional photographers, two observers from outside AIIMS-Patna - Ruban Group of Hospitals chairman Colonel A.K. Singh and Nalanda Medical College and Hospital orthopaedic surgeon Anjit Kumar - were engaged at the venue according to guidelines issued by the Guinness World Records."

All the participants were given electronic IDs with bar codes, he added.

The district administration had deputed 250 cops at the venue.

Training module

People were first given theoretical training in which AIIMS doctors imparted first-aid lessons to the participants. Later, the participants were given a hands-on training at the 50 stalls in which AIIMS-Patna officials demonstrated life-saving skills on a dummy. Before and after the event, participants were asked to answer 25 questions related to first aid.

Skills taught

People were taught how to manage the air passage in trauma-related cases, how to remove a helmet from an accident victim's head and ensure that that his/her cervical spine is immobilised while doing it so that the patient does not suffer from fracture in the spine.

Participants were also taught methods of pulling up accident victims, including blanket drag (in which a patient is covered in a blanket and the blanket is dragged to move the patient from the site) and others. The jaw-thrust and chin-lift technique, in which patients with susceptible spine injury are safely moved from the accident site, was also demonstrated.