The Indian Mountaineering Foundation (IMF) is organising a high altitude mountain medicine course in Leh in Jammu and Kashmir from September 7 to 14. The goal is to expand the number of doctors in the country with such expertise.
“We are essentially trying to develop a pool of Indian doctors with an exposure to high altitude medicine,” says Amit Chowdhury of the IMF.
“The course proposes to fill the vacuum in the training of mountain and high altitude medicine in India. At present there are no such courses or training available in India while they have been available in Europe for past 10 years,” says the IMF in the invitation.
The target group is doctors who have an active interest in mountaineering and trekking, work in high altitude areas or wish to take part in expeditions.
The course will cover areas such as human physiology at high altitude, mountain rescue, altitude illness and medical/surgical emergencies. Successful participants will be able to volunteer for expeditions and other mountaineering activities in India. The instructors will be experienced and qualified doctors who have extensive experience of working in high altitude environments.
Participants, who will only have to pay a nominal fee, will get their money refunded if they volunteer as a doctor on an IMF-sponsored expedition. This will be the second such course organised by the IMF. The first course was also held at the High Altitude Medicine Research Centre in Leh in July 2007.
For more information, please see the invitation/registration form.
