By OUR STAFF REPORTER
Rishikesh, 7 Aug: The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Rishikesh successfully conducted the National Family Medicine Orientation Programme. This landmark event focused on creating a new cadre of family physicians through the family medicine programme at all AIIMS-like institutions in India. This aligns to develop compassionate, high-quality medical professionals capable of delivering outstanding primary care, particularly to the most vulnerable communities.
The programme began with an inauguration session featuring a keynote address by Dr VK Paul, Member of NITI Aayog, guests including Dr Raman Kumar, a pioneering family physician in India, and Dr Meenu Singh, Director of AIIMS Rishikesh. Dr Paul emphasised the critical role of family medicine in the Indian healthcare system, discussing efforts to integrate family physicians into IPHS guidelines to create family doctors at primary and secondary care hospitals. Dr Kumar highlighted the importance of family medicine in providing comprehensive, patient-centred care.
Dr Santosh Kumar, an Additional Professor at AIIMS Rishikesh, played a pivotal role in ensuring the smooth conduct of the programme, facilitating comprehensive discussions on family medicine and primary care. Representatives from 11 AIIMS across the country participated, fostering an environment of brainstorming and collaboration, aiming to generate new policies and innovative ideas for the future of family medicine in India.
Dr Meenu Singh highlighted the importance of family medicine and primary care in ensuring health equity and access. She reiterated AIIMS Rishikesh’s commitment to fostering collaboration and innovation among India’s leading medical institutions, equipping healthcare professionals with the knowledge and tools necessary to provide family medicine care in Uttarakhand.
The event underscored the continuous responsibility of family physicians to provide comprehensive, coordinated, and integrated primary medical care from the first patient contact. Family medicine is context-specific, with practice and training varying based on the health system’s resources and the role of physicians in each country. The Family Medicine Orientation Programme aimed to orient esteemed faculty about the family medicine approach and its necessity in the current Indian context. It provided insights into the organisational and academic structures required to establish family medicine departments in their respective institutes. Moreover, the programme aimed to familiarise faculty with the assessment of postgraduate students through a competency-based curriculum.
Prof Jaya Chaturvedi, Dean, Academic, AIIMS Rishikesh, Medical Superintendent Prof Sanjeev Kumar Mittal, Dean, Academic, Himalayan Hospital, Jolly Grant, Prof Ashok Kumar Devradi, President of AFPI Raman Kumar also addressed the programme. Dr Santosh Kumar led discussions on the need for family medicine in the present context of India, engaging participants in small group discussions and presentations. Faculty from CMC Vellore conducted sessions on the family medicine approach, emphasising patient-centred care, undifferentiated illnesses, and the symptom-based red-flag approach.
Practical sessions included reviewing the AIIMS curriculum rotation for MD, Family Medicine, and reflecting on requirements and best practices. The programme concluded with a group work session in which participants discussed the challenges in implementing MD Family Medicine and brainstormed solutions. Dr Ravikant, Dr Surekha Kishore, Dr Rohit Gupta and Dr Mahendra Kumar along with many others were present on this occasion.
