Government Medical College Surat

UNDER GRADUATE

 Learning Objectives:

After completion of training, the MBBS student must be:

1.     Aware of the physical, social, psychological, economic, and environmental health determinants of health and disease.

2.     Able to think epidemiologically, diagnose totally, treat comprehensively and be able to function as community and first contact physician.

3.     Able to apply the clinical skills to recognize and manage common health problems including their physical, emotional mental and social aspects at the individual, family and community levels and deal with public health emergencies.

4.     Able to identify, prioritize and manage the health problems of the community after making community diagnosis.

5.     Able to perform as an effective leader of health team at primary care level, in planning, supervising & monitoring the services of health professionals in health team.

To achieve this, the student should:

a.     Inculcate values like compassion, empathy to poor, rational and ethical practice, to ensure quality professional practice.

b.     Understand the principles of prevention and control of communicable and non-communicable diseases.

c.     Participate actively in epidemiological studies to identify and prioritize health problems of the community. Collect data, analyze, interpret, and apply relevant statistical tests, to make a report.

d.     Participate actively in health care service for special groups like mothers, infants, under five children, school children, adolescents and elderly of rural, tribal and urban slum dwellers.

e.     Participate actively in investigation of outbreaks/epidemics of various diseases and other public health emergencies.

f.      Participate actively in implementation of National Health Programmes.

g.     Learn and practice principles of behavioural change communication, supervision, leadership, resource management, health information management, community participation and coordination, administrative functions etc.

h.     Continuously upgrade his knowledge, attitude and skills in the subject.

MD (PSM/ Community Medicine) Course

Every year 7 medical students can be admitted to the course of MD (post graduation). The total duration of the course is of 3 years. The whole duration is divided into 6 terms where each term is of 6 months duration.MD (PSM/ Community Medicine) is full time course to produce such an expert for the country who can discharge their duty as expected and thus can contribute to uplift the level of health of community as a whole. MD (PSM) curriculum constitutes four areas:

1. Theoretical knowledge,
2. Basic Clinical and Practical skills (managerial skills)
3. Research Skills
4. Leadership attitude including communication skills

The academic departments of PSM/ Community Medicine envisage imparting the teaching to its disciple so as to produce the competent specialist by attaining goal and objectives mentioned herewith so that the disciple after successfully completion of the PG study he may carry out the desired role effectively.

Goal:

The disciple shall acquire the understanding and skill in community medicine and develop the quality of leadership so that s/he becomes an expert and function effectively as Community Physician, Public Health Specialist, Health Manager, Faculty and/or Researcher in the field of Community Medicine (Preventive & Social Medicine).

Objectives:

Acquainted Following Knowledge:

• Basic principles of General Epidemiology, Bio Statistics, Research Methodology and Health Management.
• Health environment, Medical Sociology, Nutrition & Health Communication.
• On Public health problems prevailing in the globally in general and in India in particular.
• Health care delivery system including rehabilitation of the disabled in the country. (Comprehensive health care)  including the Health information system
• Various National & State health policy, law, act and programs.

Develop Following Skills:  -

• Develop epidemiological & analytical skill for interpreting the health information so as to be able to generate evidences and deduce inferences useful in community medicine
• Managerial skills so as to understand the designing of health care services & program, policy formation, and implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the various health care services including health program.
• Develop Research skill in the field of health, and health management to general evidences and new knowledge in the field of community medicine. 
• Communication skill so that s/he is able to interact with people from a wide range from community to policy makers by uses of different principles and methods of communication.

 Diploma in Community Medicine / PSM

Every year 2 medical students can be admitted to the course of DCM (post graduation). The number of seat varies on the basis of the policy of MCI and Government of Gujarat. The total duration of the course is of 2 years. The whole duration is divided into 4 terms where each term is of 6 months duration. The post graduate teaching in the department is carried out with the following goals and general objectives-

1.     Goals and General Objectives of Diploma in Community Medicine:

1.1 The goal of postgraduate medical education shall be to produce competent specialists of Community Medicine (PSM)

1.      Who shall recognize the health needs of the community, and carry out professional obligations ethically and in keeping with objectives of the national health policy;

2.      Who shall have mastered most of the competencies, pertaining to the specialty, that are required to be practiced at the health care delivery system;

3.      Who shall be aware of the contemporary advances and developments in the discipline of community medicine

4.      Who shall have acquired a spirit of scientific enquiry and is oriented to the principles of research methodology and epidemiology and

5.      Who shall have acquired the basic skills in training of the medical and paramedical professionals?

1.2  General objectives of post-graduate training

At the end of postgraduate training in the Community Medicine (PSM) the student shall be able to:

1.      Recognize the importance of the community medicine in the context of the health needs of the community and national priorities in the health sector;

2.      Practice the community medicine specialty ethically and in step with the principles of health care;

3.      Demonstrate sufficient understanding of the basic sciences relevant to the community medicine

4.      Identify social, economic, environmental, biological and emotional determinants of health in a given case, and take them into account while planning therapeutic, rehabilitative, preventive and promotive measures/strategies.

5.      Diagnose and manage majority of the health conditions in the community on the basis of clinical assessment, and appropriately conduct investigations.

6.      Plan and advise measures for the prevention and rehabilitation of patients suffering from disease and disability

7.      Demonstrate skills in documentation of individual/community case details as well as morbidity and mortality data relevant to the assigned situation.

8. Demonstrate empathy and humane approach towards patients and their families and exhibit interpersonal behaviour in accordance with the societal norms and expectations.

9. Play the assigned role in the implementation of national health programmes, effectively and responsibly.

10. Organize and supervise the chosen/assigned health care services demonstrating adequate managerial skills in the clinic/hospital or the field situation.

11. Develop skills as a self-directed learner; recognize continuing educational needs; select and use appropriate learning resources.

12. Demonstrate competence in basic concepts of research methodology and epidemiology, and be able to critically analyse relevant published research literature.

13. Develop skills in using educational methods and techniques as applicable to the teaching of medical/ nursing students, general physicians and paramedical health workers.

14. Function as an effective leader of a health team engaged in health care, research or training.

Resident of Department 2011

Under Graduate teaching:

• Total training schedule extends for three and half years, out of the total four and half years of MBBS study.
• Training is broadly divided into three parts

Internees training:

Post Graduate training:    

M.D.(PSM);

DCM (Post graduate diploma in Community medicine),

Post-doctoral training (Ph.D.)

International students:

• • External evaluation done by university at the end of course
  • Department conducts regular internal evaluation
  • Students maintain records of integrated teaching, laboratory work and tutorial and family case studies.
  • Undergraduate training is largely transformed in to participatory, interactive and hands on skill based training.
  • Students under take projects as an problem solving exercise
  • After completion of final examination for graduation students undergo one year compulsory Internship training
  • Total duration of Internship training under Community Medicine is of three months
  • Internees are posted in' batch of 10 for field orientation of health service needs and  programs at Rural health training center, and Urban health training centers as well as with Family physician.
  • Three years fulltime course. Affiliated to Veer Narmad South Gujarat University, Surat and recognised by Medical Council of India.
  • There are 7 PG teachers, 7 students can be registered for M.D. (PSM) per year
  • Training of students is more skill based and participatory. They are posted in field in urban, rural, tribal area for first hand experience of health problems and programs.
  • They undertake seminars, family case presentation and research publication review.
  • The dissertation topics are decided mutually by guide and students keeping in mind the local and national health problem and program priority. (Annexure)
  • This is a module based training for in service doctors
  • Training of students is more skill based and participatory.
  •  Their posting in field in urban, rural, tribal area for first  hand experience of health problems and programs.
  • They undertake seminars, family case presentation and research publication review.
  • They untaken disease surveillance / epidemic surveillance and prepare report of situation analysis.
  • They are posted to various clinical departments, allied academic departments and administrative setup for training exposure.
  • They document their practical, visits and simulation exercise in their record book. (Annexure)
  • Ph.D. in the subject of  Applied Nutrition & Environmental Epidemiology is offered
  • Ph.D. course is interdesciplinary
  • Ph.D. students under go training in basic epidemiology and research methodology in the department.
  • Their research topic is decided based on mutual interest of student as well as guide and feasibility.
  • Ph.D. research of a student from London school of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London and  University College hospital, London  is facilitated
  • Medical students from USA are posted for in the department as a part of their exposure visit 
  • Students of premedical phase come from USA for short term posting for orientation of community health challenges
  • Students of Anthropology from Philadelphia University, USA was posted for short orientation on post flood health challenges.

Malaria laboratory:

• Malaria laboratory to support fever case screening of OPD and indoor patients of New Civil Hospital is operationalized and managed by the community Medicine department since 1980.
• Technicians of the laboratory are trained for malaria microscopy and they participate in routine screening program as well as research program.
• Fever  cases are screened fpr Malaria parasites in their blood and are given presumptive and radical treatment as per national program guidelines
• Malaria screening activity between 1994-2006.

Counselling center

• Counselling centre of the department was operational since 1995.
• Beneficiaries included referrals from hospital as well as direct clients
• Counselling is done for new cases as well as follow up cases

State IDD laboratory

• This is state laboratory has been developed under the Iodine Deficiency Disorders Control Program (IDDCP) of Government of India and is functional since 2000
• Objective of this laboratory is to monitor Iodine Deficiency Disorders in the state
• Iodine estimation in the Urine samples and salt samples are done in this laboratory
• The technicians of the laboratory are trained for this micronutrient estimation at National level laboratory.

National Blindness Control program (NPCB)

• Under National Programme for Control of Blindness (NPCB) a Sentinel Surveillance Unit (SSU) is operational under the joint collaboration of the department of Community Medicine and department of Ophthalmology.
• This is one of the first SSU to be launched under the NPCB in India.
•  Basic function of the SSU is to monitor ophthalmic morbidity and cataract surgery as well as the visual outcome post surgery.

Leptospirosis Control

AN OVERVIEW OF PATTERN OF SUSPECTED CASES OF LEPTOSPIROSIS IN SOUTH GUJARAT DURING LAST 15 YEARS

Disaster Management and Epidemic Control activities

• Role of the department is in Planning, Monitoring and Coordination of Health activities
• Department played a key role during the reported plague outbreak in 1994
• Department actively participated in floods related health activities in 1994, 2000 and 2006 in Surat city and district.
• Department faculty and students also participated in health related activities during earthquake in 2000
• Department also actively participated and acted as the nodal agency during the Bird Flu outbreak at Navapur in Feb 2006.
• Department acts as the nodal agency in Leptospirosis prevention and control activities.
• As a part of health response  department  team focused on planning, coordination  and monitoring Health activities on Flood related Morbidities & Outbreak, General medical care, etc., control of Rodents, Rat Fleas, Malarial Plasmodium, other pests etc. , health information to press and public.

1. Faculties of the Department are actively involved in disease surveillance, epidemiological analysis and deliberation of preventive and control actions.
2.  All the disease information gathered in surveillance is compiled and analyzed on day-to-day basis. This was used to monitor the trend of the diseases in each zone.
3. In every Municipal zone each District Health Official was accompanied by a faculty of the Preventive & Social Medicine Department to assess the epidemiological situation, presence of any unfavorable environmental conditions, rise or clustering of the disease and health relief and rescue activities.
4. Disease covered under activities were water borne infections, vector borne infections and rodent borne infections
5. Due to timely , scientific , sustained activities no deaths were reported due to any water borne and vector borne infections but 42 deaths out of 348 clinically detected Leptospirosis cases were reported and majority were due to complications of acute hemorrhagic lung condition.

RTI-STI-HIV/AIDS:

1.  PARAS (Prevention, Advocacy, Research, Alliance and Support)  project for HIV/AIDS is launched since 1996
2.  Departmental activities under PARAS includes TI project of FSWs, Trainings , Infection Surveillance, community education and higher level supportive counseling  
3.   Higher level Counseling centre, as a support to regular service at VCTC,PPTCT, ART
4.  Training of MOs, Paramedical workers, NGOs for HIV/AIDS  prevention Control ,and  Counseling
5.  RTI/STI case management training of MOs, FHWs & Lab Technicians
6.   Monitoring of Sentinel Surveillance of HIV in South Gujarat

• Community Based STD Prevalence Study , NACO funded  (2002)
• STD prevalence study in SWs , FHI funded (2000)
• Sentinel Surveillance in SWs in 2005 & 2006
• School Life skill education program
• Intensive Rural AIDS Awareness Program : Base line study in Surat & Navsari/Dang districts