Dr. Prasad Rajhans after completing his MD in 1992 from BJ medical college,went to UK for further training.He returned back from UK in 1998 with the idea of developing EMS in India. He even wrote a letter to the Prime Minister about his dream. He launched the Pune Heart Brigade on 5 August 1999 with the help of Rotary Club of Pune South and Sanjeevan Hospital. It was a Maruti van ambulance with all the medical equipment fitted into it. He soon realised that doctors were reluctant to go on ambulances. He decided to launch a recognised training course affiliated to a University to train doctors and nurses in EMS.
In the meantime, he got all hospitals in Pune together and formed a EMS Council to provide EMS to the city of Pune. He madeefforts to get a three-digit number andthe government allocated the number 105 which was later changed to 1050. A website of Pune Heart Brigade was launched in 2000.
Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital - DMH started on 1 November 2001 and DMH launched three well equipped ambulances which were state of art at that time. Dr Rajhans had personally gone down to ACGL factory at Goa to design these ambulances. These ambulances became very famous in Maharashtra as they not only attended to any kind of emergency but also transported very serious patients from one city to another.
Dr. Rajhans approached the Symbiosis International University to start Post Graduate Diploma in Emergency Medical Services- PGDEMS which was launched in January 2002. He designed all the course material and exam pattern for the course. Dr Rajhans felt that it was important to tap local resources to create manpower to develop EMS and hence PGDEMS allowed admission to BAMS, BUMS, BHMS, BDS, MBBS and Paramedics. The course focused on life saving skills and knowledge of pre-hospital care. PGDEMS started creating the required manpower to staff the ambulances and also spread the concept of EMS. Until today Dr Rajhans has trained 31 batches of PGDEMS training more than 5200 doctors in EMS. Emergency Services improved as these EMS doctors were capable of treating any emergency in the field. The experience and expertise of these doctors also increased.Dr. Rajhans identified and nurtured many of his students as torchbearers for EMS.
Due his pursuit for better training in EMS he collaborated with International Organisations to get EMS courses to Pune.Due to his efforts Symbiosis got recognised as the International Training Centre of American Heart Association -AHA in 2003 and as the Chapter of the International Trauma Life Support-ITLS in 2005.Advanced Trauma Life Support -ATLS Course was launched in 2012. After EMRI launched the first ‘Dial 108’ state level project in August 2005,Dr Rajhans got invited as a Consultant to EMRI to develop EMS in Andhra Pradesh and other states. He identified some of his best trained EMS students within India and some from abroad to join EMRI. Dr. Rajhans visited EMRI for three days in a month for three years. More than 30 EMS doctors from Maharashtra relocated themselves to Hyderabad. As EMRI started EMS in other states like Gujarat and many more it was doctors trained by Dr Rajhans who lead the training in those states. EMRI got recognised by AHA and ITLS due to his efforts.
In the meantime, Dr Rajhans contacted various government officials in Maharashtra to launch the EMS in the state. The cabinet decided to start EMS in 2008 but due unforeseen circumstancesit could not be implemented immediately.
In 2012 the Government of Maharashtra decided to start the EMS in Maharashtra. Dr Rajhans was appointed as a Consultant and adviser to MEMS at BVG. Dr Rajhans was instrumental in setting up team to implement MEMS.Team included Project Head,Zonal Managers, District Managers, EMS Trainers and many more who had a passion for EMS. They were contacted and handpicked by Dr Rajhans.Dr.DnyaneshwarShelke who is now the COO of MEMS joined the team on request of Dr Rajhans. The team set up the EMS training program and protocols, designed well equipped ambulances,designed one of the best EMS Response centre in country. MEMS was launched on 26 January 2014 covering the 12 crore population of Maharashtra.Since the launch MEMS has served Total Patients -1804471, Trauma-205371, Medical -664267, Delivery in Ambulance -16520, Cardiac -8811 and Others-909502. Dr Rajhans and his team has trained more than 5000 doctors of MEMS. 2000 doctors have undergone Basic Life support and Advanced Cardiac Life Support training of AHA.
A journey that started with launch of one small Maruti van in 1999 was completed with launch of 937 ambulances in Maharashtra in 2014.
Dr. Prasad Rajhans came back from the United Kingdom with the mission to start Emergency Medical Services EMS in India. He dared to follow his dream of development of EMSin India with a lot of passion and commitment over the period of 18 years. He never gave up on the idea although there were lot of hurdles. He started his mission with the launch of Pune Heart Brigade on 5 August 1999 and completed the mission of EMS on 26 January 2014 with the launching of Maharashtra Emergency Medical Services MEMS.He still continues to work for EMS.
Some of his key achievements are Development and Design of EMS ambulances and EMS call centre.Development, design and launching of academic courses at Symbiosis for training of doctors in EMS. Training more than 5200 doctors in EMS.Creating torchbearers and EMS leaders for development and spread of EMS. Collaboration with International Organisations like American Heart Association -AHA, International Trauma Life Support ITLS, and American College of Surgeons to get international training programs to India. Consultant and Adviser to EMRI from 2006 to 2009 to develop EMS and EMS training in different states. Getting EMRI recognised by AHA and ITLS. Consultant and Adviser to BVG and launching of Maharashtra Emergency Medical Services on 26h January 2014 which covers the more than 12 crore population of Maharashtra with 937 ambulances. Educating all the EMS agencies/service providers in India.
Dr. Prasad Rajhans is called as the Pioneer or Father of Emergency Medical ServicesEMS in India by his fraternity, media and the people at large because of his contribution for growth of EMS since 1999.
Dr. Rajhans made lot of innovations to suit the local needs. He also focussed on the local resources to create committed manpower for EMS. The field of EMS was non-existent in 1999 and he had to face lot of hurdles. He had to create awareness about EMS as a field in medical professionals, hospitals, educational institutes, the government and people at large.
He worked on all aspects of EMS right from designing EMS ambulances, EMS call centre, EMS courses to launching and implementation of EMS.His biggest contribution to the field is starting EMS education and creating torchbearers for EMS.EMS education also has improved the quality of medical care given by doctors in the periphery as it has increased their confidence to manage emergencies.
He and his students have impacted the growth and spread of EMS all over India. Some of his studentshave started EMS Training Institutes and some have started private EMS services in different parts of India. EMS is not only saving lives but also has created new job opportunities for so many working in EMS.
Dr. Rajhans was the President of Society of Emergency Medicine India in 2005 and 2006. He has strived hard to get Emergency Medicine to be recognised as a specialty.
Emergency Medical Services were non-existent when Dr. Prasad Rajhans started the work for development of EMS in 1999. Although Dr Rajhans is a Consultant Intensivist by profession he went beyond the call of duty to develop prehospital care. Development of good EMS was the need of the hour for the country in 1999. In any Emergency like accident, Heart Attack, Unconsciousness, Paralysis, Breathlessness or poisoning people reached the hospital by any means of transport without any medical help.
In 2017 Dial 108 EMS exists in more than 18 states of India. Dr. Rajhans and his team of motivated and passionate students have worked tirelessly to develop and spread EMS across many states in India and particularly in Maharashtra.
Maharashtra Emergency Services MEMScovers the whole state of Maharashtra with 937 ambulances and a population of more than 12 crore. Since the launch MEMS has served Total Patients -1804471, Trauma-205371, Medical -664267, Delivery in Ambulance -16520, Cardiac -8811 and Others-909502.
EMS is one of the most important interventions in recent times to save lives. With proper treatment in golden hour lot of lives are saved. EMS is particularly more important in rural India where people may not have access to good health care in emergency. Maternal Mortality Rate and infant mortality rate as come down because of EMS.