In India there are no uniform criteria or guidelines for perfusion education.There is huge disparity in Perfusion training programs being offered by various Institutions/hospitals in government and private sectors.
How to choose an Ideal Perfusion Training Program
Never join a Perfusion training program at Intermediate (12th class)level.
Bachelor of Science in Perfusion (BSc) should be minimum entry training program.
Clinical Perfusionist is involved in clinical job of dealing with extracorporeal circulation in their everyday routine. So institutes running cardiac surgery programs and performing minimum 200 open heart surgery cases per year should be considered for perfusion training programs.
Perfusion faculty should have a minimum of 15 years clinical perfusion experience.
Prefer centers with one student per operation theatre per year.
Didactic Training program schedule with affiliation to University.
Training centers which allow students to perform at least 40 CPB procedures under supervision.
Institute where at least 80 percent of its past studentsare employed.
How many students are getting trained ?
Approximately 1400 perfusion students are getting trained every year in India. We are producing much much more than required.
Below is an Illustration of Perfusion Trainees in one state of India
Trainees in Karnataka (117 candidates per year)as of 2014
S No
Name of the Hospital
No. of
OT's
Cases per month
No.
Perfusion Trainees
Course
(B.Sc. / M.Sc. perfusion)
Ideal No of Trainees
1
Narayana Hrudayalaya, Bangalore
15
600±25
25
BSc. 3years 6months
13
05
M.Sc. 2years
2
2
Jayadeva Hospital, Bangalore
06
240±10
10
BSc. 3years 6months
6
3
SatyaSai Hospital, Bangalore
04
130±10
10
BSc 3years 6months
4
4
St.Johns Hospital, Bangalore
01
5±1
5
BSc 3years 6months
1
5
Vydehi Hospital, Bangalore
2
55±5
20
BSc 3years 6months
2
6
KLE Hospital, Belgaum
5
150±10
12
BSc 3years 6months
4
05
MSc 2years
1
7
Manipal Hospital, Udipi, Mangalore
2
20±5
10
BSc 3years 6months
1
8
A.G.Shetty Hospital, Mangalore
02
30±5
10
BSc 3years 6months
1
9
Fortis Hospitals, Bannerughatta road, Bangalore
03
70+/-10
05
BSc 3years 6months
2
Criteria for deciding number of Perfusion trainees
There are no guidelines in India as in western countries. Universities are approving any number of perfusion trainees per year for any cardiac center. The mass production of perfusionists without employment opportunities will lead nowhere.
