The Amrita Clinical Skills Simulation Center was inaugurated at the Health Sciences campus by the Honorable State Minister for Industries and Information Technology, Sri. P. K. Kunhalikutty on February 26, 2013.

“Students will now do medical procedures on mannequins before performing on real patients. I congratulate Amrita for setting up such a technologically advanced simulation center,” stated the Honorable Minister, during the inaugural ceremony.

The center will be dedicated to promoting hands-on medical education to help improve clinical skills of educators and students.

“By the introduction of the unique simulation center, we are moving one step ahead in developing new teaching methodologies in the field of medical education,” stated Dr. Prathapan Nair, Principal at the Amrita School of Medicine.

“At the center, we will use mannequins for teaching and training basic and advanced surgical skills and various non-invasive procedures,” added Dr. M. Gopalan, Head of the Department of Medical Illustrations, and in charge of the new Amrita Clinical Skills Simulation Center.

Mannequins are life-size human-like figures and are already in use as virtual patients at Amrita to impart medical education. These virtual patients allow students to make diagnoses and arrive at therapeutic decisions with the help of interactive computer simulations.

“Our mannequins accurately mimic anatomical structures with electronic devices to auscultate a normal or abnormal heart, lung and abdominal sounds and give realistic tactile impressions for abdominal palpation of normal/abnormal liver, spleen, intestines and all pelvic organs,” explained Dr. Gopalan.

“We will use mannequins with programmed clinical conditions instead of using real patients for the purpose of teaching and training. Also the students can engage in repetitive practice with increasing levels of difficulty,” he underlined.

This Amrita Center will also offer training in obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, orthopedic procedures such as intra-articular injections and trauma care, emergency medicine, anesthesia and general medicine.

Automated delivery mannequins to simulate a normal delivery, abnormal and obstructed labor in obstetrics and gynecology are available. So are baby mannequins for learning neonatal care. Surgical procedures such as incisions, suturing, intravenous and intramuscular injections, laparoscopic examinations and surgery itself can be performed on the mannequins.

A hands-on workshop on different basic and advanced techniques was offered to postgraduate students and faculty members of various clinical specialties post the inauguration of the Center.

March 11, 2013
Health Sciences Campus, Kochi