Medical team from US explore tie-up with CIHSR

DIMAPUR, Oct 4: A four-member medical team from the United States including Professor Emeritus at the University of New Mexico Alberqueque, Dr Warren Heffron and Conference Director for Family Medicine Education International, Dr Christopher Jenkins, are currently in Nagaland to explore the possibility of starting a Residency programme in Family Medicine at the Christian Institute of Health Sciences & Research (CIHSR). The team members, who arrived here on September 30 last, are also likely to meet the State Chief Minister and Medical Minister to discuss ways for collaboration between the State Government and CIHSR in the field of Family Medicine, including imparting training to doctors of community health centres (CHCs).
The team has already conducted a series of lectures and interaction with doctors of CIHSR besides doing the rounds in the hospital and discussing cases of patients. They also visited the CHCs at Dhansiripar and Burma Camp.

Briefing media persons on the sideline of “Continuing Medical Education Programme” for local doctors on the topic “How a Family Physician looks at management of diabetes and other metabolic disorders,” held here on Saturday evening in the conference hall of CIHSR, both Dr Jenkins and Dr Heffron said Family Medicine has gained much acceptance as it provides comprehensive and continuing care to patients and their families.

The doctors also said that 85 to 90 per cent of health problems of a community can be taken care of by Family Medicine doctors and the remaining 10-15 per cent cases are referred to specialists, thereby cutting down the cost of treatment. Associate Director, CIHSR, Dr Abraham Joseph who was also present in the briefing said besides the curative aspect, Family Medicine is equally concerned with the preventive and promotive aspects. In India, the National Board of Examinations conducts the post graduate examination in Diplomat of the National Board (DNB) Family Medicine. The other two visiting doctors – Nick Carrol and Sanyo Konyak – are residents of ‘In his Image’ Family Medicine Residency institute, Oklahoma, USA. (Agencies)