Finally, Cardiologist Dr Sharma’s unique suicide prevention device granted patent
| Date :05-Aug-2019 |
MP Medical University Vice-Chancellor Dr R S Sharma addressing a press conference.
Staff Reporter:
Nearly six years after a cardiologist from Government Medical College Jabalpur invented a unique ‘Suicide Prevention Device’ for ceiling fans. The invention has been granted Patent by the Intellectual Property of India, on August 1, 2019. Dr Ravi Shankar Sharma, first DM Cardiology in entire Madhya Pradesh from All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, is inventor of this device. Describing the mechanism behind this device in a press conference, on Sunday, Dr R S Sharma informed that the suicide prevention device once attached in lieu of the shaft of fan gets elongated as soon as person attempting the suicide hangs himself and his feet start touching the ground. In this way, the strong traction and displacement injury in cervical spine and cord, compressing of respiratory passage trachea and blood vessel carotid artery is minimised to prevent death.
Dr Sharma has also attacked a siren which starts blowing on shaft displacement. This will alert the persons present nearby to try and further save the person attempting suicide. This device patent is already being compared to the whistle pressure released system a universally present part of ‘Pressure Cooker’. Previously when Pressure Cookers did not have this pressure releasing system, many persons especially women died due to bursting of cooker. Now no Pressure Cooker is sold without this devise. In the same way, if all ceiling fans are having this devise a very important most frequent method of committing suicide will become extinct.
The cost of this devise is only Rs. 500 a price which is easily affordable especially when it can save invaluable lives. Professor, Dr R S Sharma, Senior Cardiologist of Madhya Pradesh is the Vice-Chancellor of Madhya Pradesh Medical Science University, Jabalpur. He says that even if one life is saved by this devise, he will consider the time, money and effort spent on getting this devise patent to be well spent in humanitarian interest. He has solicited the help of fan industries, Government of Madhya Pradesh and India to take-up the effort to a large level to prevent this menace of suicide by hanging.