Task Force for Karnataka Public Health Policy and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) have now teamed up to highlight the best practices being employed in space technology to be utilised in the emergency and intensive care department to reduce human error.

This is probably for the first time ever anywhere in the world, that space technology practices are being incorporated into medical sciences and this would mark the beginning of yeomen contribution of space scientists towards the well-being of the people of our country, said Dr. Alexander Thomas, Member Secretary, Task Force, Karnataka Public Health Policy and Karnataka Jnana Aayoga.

At the recently concluded national seminar on health: QUEST (Quality Upgradation Enabled through Space Technology) conducted at the ISRO headquarters, Bengaluru, the entire scenario in the emergency and intensive care departments was discussed threadbare with the scientists of ISRO.

A group of space scientists under the present A S Kiran Kumar, Chairman, ISRO along with representatives of specialists from Society of Emergency Medicine India [SEMI], Indian Society for Critical Care medicine [ISCCM], National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers [NABH] Consortium of Healthcare Organizations [CAHO] and Association of Healthcare Providers India [AHPI] have identified specific areas in the emergency and intensive care units where the best practices employed in the space technology could be appropriately incorporated.

The scientists were able to come up with specific suggestions which the medical specialists of the two associations: SEMI & ISCCM fully agreed upon and decided to incorporate in the work manual. This document is to be formally released at the National Health conclave scheduled to be held in May 2017 at New Delhi.

The healthcare industry is a very complex arena, where emotions and expectations are very high and anxiety is of the highest degree, as a result of which care givers are subjected to immense pressure while racing against time to impart their expertise with the sole aim of alleviating the suffering of the stricken people. Such being the case, it is in the emergency and intensive care units that human errors are most likely to happen, he added.
 
However If this can be properly and scientifically tackled we will go a long way in ensuring that whatever benefits are due to the patient as a result of the advancements that we see in the medical field can be effectively translated in such a way that a lot more patients can be saved.

The idea of bringing together the best practices being employed in space technology into the emergency and intensive care department to reduce human error, dawned upon during an interaction which Dr. Thomas, had with Dr. Kasturirangan, former chairman, ISRO and currently, chairman, Karnataka Jnana Aayoga.

It is noteworthy that the ISRO which is one of the leading space organisations in the world has painstakingly evolved these best practices accumulated over a period of about 2 to 3 decades, said Dr. Thomas.