IndiaPost.com - AAPI to train healthcare workers in Bihar, AP

NEW YORK: The Association of American Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) is launching a movement in India to train healthcare workers to screen the population for major ailments.

Addressing the PBD-NY's session on Education & Health, AAPI President Dr Hemant Kumar Patel said the organization's zeal to do its best to motherland resulted in an institutional framework, a dynamic partnership between AAPI and Government of India that blossomed last year in the form of an MOU. AAPI will be working in tandem with health care workers in Andhra Pradesh and Bihar.

"We will train the trainees in screening the hapless rural population for hypertension, diabetes, cardio vascular diseases, and other ailments. The project will kick off on Dec 17 in Andhra Pradesh and Dec 19 in Bihar.

I am fortunate the project envisaged by my predecessors is becoming a reality during my tenure," Dr Patel said. "This is just a beginning and we will branch off into more states in due course." Each disease will have a physician in the form of team leader who will be responsible for implementing the program.

Minor ailments will be referred to primary health centers, major ones to district civil hospitals and those requiring specialized care will go to hospitals attached to medical colleges and research institutes, he said.

"We are not going to India to preach or impart knowledge, but to learn and work hand in hand with our fellow medical fraternity.

Our aim is not to show off our knowledge but genuinely share our skills and expertise for the benefit of our brethren who need urgent medical care on priority basis," he added. AAPI has also embarked on a private-public partnership that is bound to make a difference in health care system in India. The first ever Indo-US Health Care Summit will be held in New Delhi on Dec 13.

The focus of the summit will be to bringing together leading experts from the US and India for enhancing the practice of medicine in high priority disease states with focus on prevention, treatment and management, Dr. Patel informed. AAPI has also drawn up a road map for the next five years.

The action plan includes recommendations to improve the medical school curriculum in India on par with the US and other advanced nations and improving medical tourism. AAPI would also collaborate with the pharma industry of India and assist them in improving R&D facilities. "We want the synergy of knowledge and confluence of ideas to work for the progress in the Indian health care sector.

The summit will discuss and deliberate on topics such as risk factors, cultural factors, environmental and life style influences on diseases, treatment paradigms, population level health, new and emerging best medical practices, standards in service delivery, awareness, education and Public Private partnership and formulating national health policy acquire clinical knowledge and collaborative effort.

We are committed to improving the health care system in India and this will be our humble tribute to our motherland," he added. India is the latest buzz word and an economic super power. "The awe-inspiring success story will not be complete without infrastructure development and improvement in health care delivery system.

We want to see a prosperous and healthy India. AAPI is committed to be there heart and soul in achieving this objective health for all in India."