By Arushi Trivedi on 20 Aug 2022
6 mins read
Being a paramedic is highly rewarding for compassionate and driven people who feel great joy in helping others. This career enables one to make a difference every single day. Paramedics have a vital role in the healthcare industry, as in many situations they are the first responders to medical emergencies.
As Medical Lab Technicians, they provide support for the correct diagnosis and prognosis of a patient’s medical condition; as operation theatre technicians they assist and support the surgeons to ensure the best medical care is provided to their patients; as hospital administration healthcare professionals they ensure the patients and their families have a seamless experience in the hospital and do not face any issues.
They are also able to go the extra mile for their own friends and families, by being able to help them get timely medical attention in case of a medical emergency.
Check more information about Online Paramedical Courses
In India, due to a shortage of trained healthcare and allied healthcare professionals or paramedics, the healthcare system is very fragile. Many patients do not get the required medical care as a result.
The COVID-19 pandemic has further stressed the need for more skilled and qualified medical and paramedical professionals to strengthen our healthcare infrastructure.
Moreover, as per a 2018 report published by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, there will be up to 4 crore new jobs in healthcare by 2025.
Virohan Institute of Health and Management Sciences, an NSDC partner, is on a mission to bridge the demand-supply gap by generating a skilled workforce of such allied healthcare workers.
The paramedical courses offered are selected and designed as per the market demand after thorough market research. This ensures the students are job-ready with the required skills to transition into their new roles as allied healthcare professionals.
One can become employable after just completing a one-year basic paramedical course. Students who have completed their 12th are eligible for these courses, and having a background in biology is not a necessity for some of these courses. Thus, an investment of just one year after 12th grade offers diverse career opportunities to students from different fields, along with a continuously evolving career path, making paramedics one of the best career options.
The paramedical profession offers a plethora of choices to students. The various career paths include medical lab technicians, Operation Theatre Technicians, hospital administration healthcare professionals, dialysis technicians, x-ray technicians, emergency medical technicians, and so on. One can opt for any of these professions, get trained and certified in the required technical and soft skills, and start their career journey. In addition to these roles which are directly related to the courses, there are different kinds of options available as well such as:
The wide range of available career options makes paramedics one of the best career options after the 12th.
As a paramedical professional, one gets to earn as one learns. One can start their career after completing any of the basic paramedical courses. Along with their job, they can continue to upskill themselves by enrolling in different specialized courses and grow in their careers. The healthcare industry is one of the very few sectors which is organized in nature. This means that there is a proper hierarchical growth trajectory in this sector.
For example, a medical lab assistant can progress in their career to become a medical lab technician, followed by a lab supervisor, lab manager, and then finally lab director. Further, as the healthcare scenario keeps evolving, so do the responsibilities of paramedical professionals, providing them with avenues to continuously develop their skills. A steep learning curve and dynamic nature make paramedics one of the best career options after the 12th.
The average pay for a fresher after completing a paramedical course, like DMLT Course, is anywhere between INR 10,000 to INR 20,000. The high demand for paramedics across India and abroad due to the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a substantial increase in the salaries of these professionals. This can go as high as INR 35,000 per month in high demand times, as has been observed in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Paramedics rarely have a dull moment in their job. They are more often than not dealing with high-pressure situations, where they are required to put their problem-solving and decision-making skills to action. Their job requires them to be constantly engaged with and alert of the situation at hand. This ensures they never feel stagnated in their job, are always gaining diverse experiences, and growing professionally as well as individually. VIROHAN ensures that as a part of its curriculum, the students are trained in such essential soft skills that enable them to effectively work in a team, communicate and present themselves well, solve daily problems at work, and work with empathy towards their colleagues and patients.
Although technology is a big asset to the healthcare industry, it can never replace paramedics as they will always remain essential to the healthcare system in any country. Business cycles, recession, and other factors affecting the job market are unlikely to have any effect on the demand, salaries, and job growth prospects of paramedics. It is safe to say that the healthcare industry is recession-proof. Healthcare and allied healthcare workers will always be required to ensure good healthcare services for the entire population, making paramedic one of the best career options for anybody looking for a secure and progressive career.
As a paramedic, one gets to serve their nation as a white-uniformed soldier. As we have all observed during the COVID-19 pandemic, paramedics have taken charge and led the battle against COVID-19 at the frontline. They have gone above and beyond their job roles to make sure all patients get the essential medical care at the right time and saved many lives all over the world. The entire global population is in no doubt indebted to the tireless efforts of these paramedics.
The role of a paramedic garners immense respect and appreciation from the community in which they serve. They form the foundation of the healthcare system, and it would be very hard for doctors and nurses to function without their support. They are the first responders in many medical emergencies and are responsible for crucial decisions and steps to ensure the best possible health outcomes in such situations. This further emphasizes the necessity of paramedics in our communities.
In summary, it is a very enriching and satisfying career, which not only offers one job security and growth but also enables one to serve the community and gain love and respect for the same, making paramedic one of the best career options for students after their 12th.
Given the shortage of trained paramedics in the country, we at VIROHAN are working towards training the upcoming workforce of paramedics to bridge the skill gap. Our enrollments have seen an increase of over two-fold in 2020-2021 as compared to the previous fiscal year, and we plan to train over 1 million students by 2025. We are determined to continue to enable all aspiring paramedics to have fulfilling and progressive careers and make a difference in their communities.
