Donated baby simulation model will upskill health workers in rural India

Dr Malhotra

A generous donation by a major manufacturer of medical equipment and medical training products will enhance a teaching and research program in neonatal resuscitation in India.

Recipient of the 2016 RACP Eric Burnard Fellowship, Dr Atul Malhotra is developing an educational program for health workers in rural Punjab to recognise perinatal asphyxia (oxygen deprivation) and hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE).

“Laerdal Australia has donated an ex-demonstration model of a neonatal resuscitation baby simulator for the education training programs I will be running later this year in Punjab,” said Monash University researcher and Monash Children’s Hospital neonatologist, Dr Malhotra.

Laerdal Medical manufactures products for first aid and emergency medicine, including CPR manikins and patient simulators.

Dr Malhotra’s program will include a "train the trainer" workshop for local health leaders in neonatal resuscitation.

“I intend to leave this simulation model behind for the trainers so that they can continue training staff after I have left.”

“The trainers will be working under the supervision of local collaborator, Associate Professor Tarundeep Singh, School of Public Health, PGIMER, Chandigarh.”

As well as training medical leaders, Dr Malhotra will run a workshop for local skilled birth attendants in primary health centres in rural Punjab.

“This simulation model will be critical for the "hands on" skill development of birth attendants to learn vital resuscitation skills such as bag/valve mask ventilation and chest compressions—it also facilitates running "mock" team scenarios of neonatal resuscitation.”  

Laerdal is a partner in the global public-private alliance, "Helping Babies Breathe", a training program that teaches the essential skills of caring for healthy babies and assisting babies that do not breathe on their own after birth.