Do you know what to do in an emergency?

What: The Calcutta Medical Research Institute has started a one-year diploma course in Emergency and Disaster Nursing.

"Private colleges should come up with such courses to match the growing demand for medical practitioners," said Surya Kanta Mishra, West Bengal's minister of health and family welfare, panchayat and rural development.

He also said there was scope for development of soft skills like foreign language training among nurses to get the best of available opportunities in the international market.

Mishra urged CMRI to offer more super speciality nursing courses.

The course

The diploma course would provide the nurses with specialised skills required for delivering prompt quality care in emergency and disaster situation, said Amit De, chief operating officer, CMRI.

The course will be recognised by the Indian Nursing Council as well as West Bengal Nursing Council (WBNC).

"There is an urgent need for nurses with specialised knowledge, skills and attitude in providing immediate holistic and individualised care to emergency patients," said De.

CMRI will pay a stipend of Rs 2,000 per month to selected candidates along with board, said De.

There are 20 seats for this course.

Sumita Dutta, registrar, WBNC, said the course would train nurses to minimise mental and physical shock after any disaster as it would cover areas like psychology, sociology, applied anatomy and pharmacology.