Community Medicine
Community Medicine, as a branch of medicine and a major subject of MBBS course, is concerned with health of populations. It aims to protect and promote the health and well-being of communities and populations through Primary Health Care approach. It deals with analysing and measuringthe health needs of populations, their health status and then develops appropriate and technically and practically feasible strategies to prevent and control diseases and improve health of populations through Health Promotion, Health Education and Health Protection.
Training in Community Medicine aims at nurturing Primary Health Care professionals and physicians who can recognise and manage common ailments and health problems in the community near their door steps and in their community environmental milieu. The primary health care provider should have the ability and skills to identify, prioritise and manage the health problems of the community in tandem with the perception of the com-munity leaders and with their active cooperation and participation.
The community physician will be an effective leader of health team at Primary Health Care level and sound in academics, health research and leadership skills. He/She is in-strumental in development of Public Health policy, design and implement health pro-grammes, suitably modified and aligned to local needs, and then evaluate these health activities and programmes.
Being Primary Health care, physicians, they shall have the ability to practically apply knowledge and skills gained in various clinical subjects during MBBS course to treat common health problems, for the benefit of the community, by applying preventive, cura-tive, promotive, restorative and rehabilitative measures.
The MBBS course stipulates that apart from study of Community Medicine as a core subject of MBBS curriculum (lasting 7 semesters), the Interns during their Compulsory Rota-tory Residential Internship (CRRI) of 3 months in Community Medicine, will be trained in all these aspects of Primary Health Care and involvement with local Community to assess their health needs and problems.
VISION
Department of Community Medicine will seek to be a centre of excellence in medical education, research, and healthcare services, both at undergraduate and PG level. It would strive for achievement of academic excellence by Educating and Training Health Professionals who-
- Shall recognize health needs of community through continuous interactions
- Carry out professional obligations, ethically and equitably, and in keeping with National Health Policy
MISSION
Department of Community Medicine will provide outstanding educational experience, in course content of Community Medicine and allied Health Sciences, both at undergraduate and PG level, in a supportive environment of scholarship, research, integrity, critical thinking and self-directed learning. It will provide comprehensive, culturally sensitive, community oriented health care to community, as a part of its outreach services.
AIM
The broad goal of the teaching of undergraduate students in Community Medicine is to prepare them to function as community and first level physicians in accordance with the national goals of HEALTH FOR ALL and as per broad guidelines stipulated by Medical Council of India.
At PG level, the goal is to produce a competent public health specialist and a medical teacher who can function as a leader of health team and is able to recognise the health needs of the community, and carry out professional obligations ethically and in keeping with the objectives of the national health policy. The aim is to prepare them to be good teachers,trainers, researchers, epidemiologists, health planners, organizers and administrators.
OBJECTIVES
The main objective of teaching and training of undergraduates and PG in Community Medicine is to orient their education and skills towards understanding health problems of community and provide” CARE BEYOND CURE” to patients in the overall milieu of family and their community and to understand and practice medicine in a manner where the patient is treated in the holistic context keeping in mind the multifarious dimensions and determinants of health
RECENT ACHIEVEMENTS / ACTIVITIES
The department has a highly qualified and dedicated faculty and sufficient infrastructure for teaching and training of undergraduate and post-graduate students in Community Medicine.
M.C.I has permitted an annual intake of three post-graduate students and presently two post graduates are undergoing training in the department.
A well equipped Rural Health Training Centre at Joharji is the nodal hub for training of under graduates and post graduates in a conductive community based environment. It also provides Primary Care to the surrounding population. Young interns are exposed to all the important components of the Primary health care delivery system and encouraged to give health talks on Sanitation, Nutrition and School health.
World Health Day and significant health events related to National Health Programmes are celebrated with enthusiasm and vigour by the department by organising health talks, seminars and poster completions among the students.
A joint collaborative project for training of graduate nurses in “health and wellness” in partnership with Himachal Pradesh Medical Education Department and IGNOU regional centre, Shimla is in process of implementation.