Puducherry: As part of the Indian Council of Medical Research's (ICMR) flagship initiative, INDIA-EMS (Integrated Nationwide District-based Implementation Research for Emergency Model System), a First Responder Training Programme was conducted in Puducherry to bolster grassroots emergency preparedness.

The initiative, titled “One Responder, One Village,” aims to equip at least one individual in every village with emergency response skills to handle medical crises effectively during the golden hour. JIPMER, acting as the national nodal centre, coordinated the training in collaboration with the Puducherry District Administration and Directorate of Health and Family Welfare Services (DHFWS).

Inaugurating the programme, Puducherry District Collector A. Kulothungan underlined the importance of community participation in managing day-to-day and mass casualty emergencies. The event was also attended by NHM Mission Director Dr. S. Govindarajan, Deputy Director (IEC) Dr. G. Raghunathan, 108 Emergency Services Nodal Officer Dr. R. Duraisamy, and INDIA-EMS Principal Investigator Dr. Manu Ayyan from JIPMER.

Fifty participants from local villages underwent simulation-based hands-on training in CPR, trauma care, bleeding control, cervical spine protection, and patient transport, facilitated by experts from JIPMER's Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Trauma & Burns.

The programme was coordinated by Dr. Sooriyaprasannan S., Research Scientist, INDIA-EMS (NHRP), along with Dr. Gloria, Scientist and CoE Nodal Officer at JIPMER. Dr. Sooriyaprasannan said the initiative aims to create a trained, village-level emergency workforce capable of immediate life-saving action.

The training marks a major step toward decentralizing emergency medical systems and building resilient, community-driven healthcare responses.