Medical colleges should teach preventive social medicine

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, December 8

Community health and medicine is a significant branch of science and in a country like ours, where access to healthcare is still a challenge for many, it is the most significant one. Community healthcare is essential to India's health system because it delivers healthcare directly where people live, especially in rural and underserved areas. While community healthcare workers including ASHA and Anganwadi, make the frontline workforce, taking basic healthcare services accessible in rural areas, Dr Amarinder Malhi, interventional radiologist, from AIIMS and eminent former student at Government Medical College, Amritsar, has been leading community health initiatives in Punjab and recently received the Khalsa College Heritage Award at a ceremony held at the Khalsa College. The award is given by the Khalsa College Amritsar Global Alumni Association.

Dr Malhi, who led the medical operations and relief with a team of doctors from AIIMS, New Delhi during Ajnala floods, was conferred the award for his humanitarian efforts and medical services during the flood relief operations. Stressing on the significance of community health and ground work for all medical students, Dr Malhi said that preventive social medicine must be adopted as subject in all government and private medical colleges. "Government Medical College, Amritsar, like all government medical colleges in India, requires its residents and interns to undergo mandatory community postings as part of their training. These include rural health centre duties, urban health centre rotations, immunisation programmes and public health an activity, ensuring every young doctor actively contributes to community health and preventive care," he said.

According to him, the scope of community health and medicine goes beyond basic diagnosis and referrals, maternal health and vaccination. Dr Malhi, who has been working on ground leading several community health initiatives, said that it's a compulsory subject across all medical schools, and helps doctors gain insight into planning and designing medical and healthcare plans with regard to serious crisis like pandemics and disasters. It is also helpful in data collection and research purposes while shaping understanding of social and health landscape.