Community Medicine

Department of Community Medicine

Shri Bhausaheb Hire Government Medical College, Dhule

 

About us:

Overview:

Department of Community Medicine has evolved considerably and iscontinuously adapting itself to the changing roles and expectations. It is an important link between the tertiary care hospitals and public health services. It plays a vital role in the medical education of undergraduates according to the Medical Council of India and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. It needs to be made more community oriented and relevant to the country’s needs.

Concept of starting separate Department of Community Medicine at Medical colleges was first mooted in 1955 at the All India Conference on Medical Education.
The department of Community Medicine in SBHGMC Dhule was established in year 1989. Currently department is headed by Dr. A.N. Borde who took over the charge in 2017.

 

 

GOALS :

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 institutional goals.

 

OBJECTIVES :

Knowledge :

• At the end of the course the student shall be able
• Explain the principles of sociology including demographic population dynamics.
• Identify social factors related to health, disease and disability in the context of urban and rural societies.
• Appreciate the impact of urbanization on health and disease.
• Observe and interpret the dynamic of community behaviors.
• Describe the elements of normal psychology and social psychology.
• Observe the principles of practice of medicine in hospital and community settings.
• Describe the health care delivery systems including rehabilitation of the disabled in the country.
• Describe the National Health Programmes with particular emphasis on maternal and child health programmes, family welfare planning and population control.
• List the epidemiological methods and techniques.
• Outline the demographic pattern of the country and appreciate the roles of the individuals, family, community and socio-cultural milieu in health and disease.
• Describe the health information systems.
• Enunciate the principles and components of primary health care and the national health policies to achieve the goal of “Health for all”.
• Identify the environmental and occupational hazards and their control.
• Describe the importance of water and sanitation in human health.
• To understand the principles of health economies, health administration, health education in relation to community.

 

 

 

Skills :-

• At the end of the course, the student shall be able to make use of
• The principles and practice of medicine in hospital and community settings and familiarization with elementary practices.
• Use the Art of communication with patients including history taking and medico social work.
• Use epidemiology as a scientific tool to make rational decisions relevant to community and individual patient intervention.
• Collect, analyze, interpret and present simple community and hospital base data.
• Diagnose and manage common health problems and emergencies at the individual, family and community levels keeping in mind the existing health care resources and in the context of the prevailing socio-culture beliefs.
• Diagnose and manage common nutritional problems at the individual and community level.
• Plan, implement and evaluate a health education programme with skill to use simple audio-visual aids.
• Interact with other members of the health care team and participate in the organization of health care services and implementation of national health programmes.

Integration:

Develop capabilities of synthesis between cause of illness in the environment or community and individual health and respond with leadership qualities to institute remedial measures for this.

 

SERVICES AVAILABLE

The description of departmental activities is as follows:

 

1. URBAN HEALTH & TRAINING CENTRE: The Department of Community Medicine of Shri Bhahusaheb Hire Government Medical College, Dhule has an Urban Health Training Center (UHTC), serving urban poor and slum population. This health center provides both promotive as well as curative health services to the community and helps to orient medical students and interns on primary health care and social responsibility towards the community.

The UHTC is located in slum area of Laxmi wadi, near railway station road which is around 3 km from parent institute covering about 25000 urban populations.

FUNCTIONS & ACTIVITIES AT UHTC:

1. Teaching and training (UG): All UGs of 4^th and 6^th semester MBBS are taken to UHTC during their community postings with the aim understand the field epidemiology including physical and social environment of the urban areas, and functioning of UHTC and also learn about the implementation of various national programs. UG students also conduct field survey, case study and mini projects.
2. Teaching and training (Interns): All interns during posting in Community Medicine are posted by rotation at both RHTC and UHTC. It provides interns an ideal period to pick up and refine the clinical/ communication skills under the “real field situation”. Interns support the work at UHTC under supervision of faculty. It enhances their administrative, teaching, clinical and communication skills.
3. Adoption of 5000 families in UHTC area with the help of paramedical workers (Medical Social Worker) and undergraduate students through family health surveys.
4. Observance of various health-related days and weeks: Regular observance of World Health Day, World AIDS Day, malaria fortnight, nutrition week, breast feeding week, World Hepatitis Day etc is done which helps in generating awareness in community and establishing our credibility. Interns, UG students, nursing students along with paramedical staff participate in community mobilization and organization of these events.
5. Multi-specialty OPDs of Paediatrics, skin and ophthalmology are run thrice weekly in afternoon session at UHTC which helps in providing quality health care and building up the rapport with community.

Services and Facilities:

1. Curative Component:

1. OPD Services: Management of the common ailments as per the Standard Treatment Protocols developed by the State. OPD is run from 9:00am to 1:00 pm in morning and 3:00pm to 5:00pm in afternoon in all working days.
2. Emergency Medical care: During the OPD hours, first aid and stabilization followed by referral if required for injuries / accidents / animal bite cases and other emergency conditions.
3. Minor Surgical Procedures: Simple Incision and drainage, suturing of simple clean lacerated wounds.
4. Referral for the Cases requiring Secondary / Tertiary care: All patients requiring higher level care to be referred in time to a linked and identified centre with a complete referral slip. Follow up of these cases are done during family health survey.
5. Geriatric care: Special emphasis on taking care of the senior citizens visiting the health centre. Daily OPD for HTN and DM is organised for monitoring and treatment.

1. Preventive & Promotive services

1. Reproductive and Child Health Programme:

1. Maternal Health Services:
2. Early registration (ideally before 12th week) of all pregnancies with a duly filled ANC card with Antenatal check-ups by Lady Medical Officer.
3. Provision of associated services like providing iron and folic acid tablets, injection tetanus toxoid etc. (as per the guidelines for antenatal care)

• Laboratory investigations like haemoglobin, urine albumin.

1. Nutrition counselling.
2. Identification of high risk pregnancies / referral to civil hospital /other linked hospital for high risk pregnancy.
3. Child Health Services:
4. Care of routine childhood illness.
5. Promotion of exclusive breast feeding for 6 months.

• Full immunization of all infants and children against vaccine preventable diseases as per guidelines of Government of India. 28^th of every month is the day of immunization.Vitamin A prophylaxis is done every day.

1. Adolescent Health: Detection and management of nutritional disorders and high risk behaviour.
2. Family Planning Services:
3. Education, Motivation and counselling to adopt appropriate family planning.
4. Provision of contraceptives such as condoms, oral pills, emergency contraceptive methods.

• Carry out IUD insertions.

1. Follow up services to the eligible couples adopting permanent spacing / method.
2. Management and Prevention of Reproductive Tract Infections / Sexually Transmitted Diseases: Treatment of RTIs and STDs and health education for prevention of RTIs / STDs.

1. Integrated Disease Surveillance Project (IDSP): To detect unusual health events and take appropriate remedial measures.
2. Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP): Urban health Training Centre functions as DOTS Centre to deliver treatment as per RNTCP Treatment Guidelines through DOTS providers.
3. National Programme for Control of Blindness (NPCB): Diagnosis and treatment of common eye diseases. Screening for refraction disorders and Detection of cataract cases are done during specialist OPD and referred to medical college for management.
4. National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP): Diagnosis of Malaria, Dengue and Chikungunya cases and their treatment or referral for hospitalization. IEC activities regarding spread and prevention, symptoms of VBDs and early detection of complications are also organised with the help of MSW, Interns and UG students.
5. Provision of Essential Diagnostic services: Including Hb %, Blood Sugar, Urine Albumin, and Blood smear examination for malaria parasite are provided at UHTC.
6. Education about Health and its Determinants / National Health Programmes / Special schemes of the department through display of IEC material in the waiting areas and use of available IEC material in outreach activities.
7. School Health Services:-  UHTC is catering health needs of six private and municipal schools in its field practice area. Routine health check up of  school children is done periodically.

 

 

1. RURAL HEALTH & TRAINING CENTRE

The department of Community Medicine at S.B.H. GMC Medical College has developed the ‘Rural Health Training Centre’ (R.H.T.C.) at Songir, Dhule district, in collaboration with the Rural Hospital, Songir to offer comprehensive health care services to poor and needy people living in rural areas.

The center is located about 20 km Northwards from Dhule from the parent institute. It is easily accessible from areas like Dhule, Shirpur etc. The center provides medical services to about 20 nearby villages. It has 30 bedded hospital which caters service to 1 lakh population.OPD services carried out daily (except Sunday) from 9 am to 1 pm, Specialist visit organized through community medicine department on every Thursday. Various national health programmes like RNTCP, RCH II, NLEP etc are running under RHTC. In addition to providing health services to rural population, the Rural Health Training Centre also provides practical training to interns. Various research project related to community health are also undertaken at the RHC, Songir population. Separate quarters for male & female interns are in place at RHTC.

 

2. IMMUNIZATION & ARV OPD

The Immunization& ARV (Anti Rabies Vaccine) OPD in Hospital are run by the Community Medicine Dept. The OPD is currently located on the first floor of the OPD building of SBHGMC (OPD No 45 & 46). It is functional daily from 9.00 a.m. to 01.00 p.m. with the registration of cases going on from 8.30 to 12.30 p.m.

 

Activities that has been carried out in the Immunization OPD:-

1. Registration of Immunization beneficiaries& Animal bite Patients.
2. Treatment in the form of vaccines
3. Counseling of Parents& Animal bite patients

Children in the age group up to 5 years are immunized against vaccine preventable diseases as per the Universal Immunization programme & immunization schedule adopted by Govt. of Maharashtra (Polio, Tuberculosis, Diphtheria, Pertusis, Tetanus, Pneumonia, Meningitis, Measles, Hepatitis B, Swine flu vaccination &Immunization against Tetanus for the ANC Mothers, Rabies)

 

4. UNDERGRADUATE TEACHING, TRAINING AND RESEARCH

Undergraduate students of all the three years of MBBS are posted with the department for fixed durations for training in the subject. This is achieved through didactic lectures, practical’s, demonstrations, tutorials, seminars and most unique of all, visits to institutes of public health importance like the rural health training centre.

5. INTERNSHIP TRAINING

The internship training programme is of one year duration. During this period an intern is posted at various departments of the hospital as per the university guidelines. They are also posted at peripheral hospitals, urban health center and center for rural training.

6. OTHER ACTIVITIES
7. BMW management of SBHGMC and Sarvopchar Rugnalay, Dhule.
8. Medical Record maintenance
9. Medical Education Technology Cell.
10. Celebration of various National Health Days for health promotion.
11. Arrangings Camps and Health surveys.
12. Internship Training Programme.
13. Tarining of Modern Pharmacology and BPMT.
14. Vehicle management for students.

 

Workshops conducted:

1. Training of health care workers for Covid 19 prevention including Doctors, nurses, PG and UG students, Class iv workers and non teaching staff.
2. Webinar on new guidelines for Oral Polio vaccination.
3. Workshop for training of Doctors and nurses for MR vaccination.
4. AFP surveillance workshop in collaboration with regional WHO center.

 

RESEARCH PUBLICATIONS

2019:

 

1. A cross sectional study on assessment of epidemiological factors associated with open field defecation in a tribal community
2. Epidemiological Surveillance in the Vicinity of SardarSarovarHealth Projects and its Impact of Health and Morbidity Status of the Population
3. Undernutrition and its association with socio-demographic factors among pregnant women attending tertiary health care hospital in northern Maharashtra: a cross sectional study
4. A cross-sectional study to evaluate malnutrition prevalence in under 5children and health seeking behaviour of their parents in an urban slum area of a metropolitan city

2018:

 

1. ICMR sponsored short term project “Assessment of prevalence and determinants of blindness among 40+ population of Dhule(Rural) district, Maharashtra.”
2. A cross sectional study to assess awareness regarding PCPNDT Act among reproductive age group women.

 

 

2017:

1. Assessment of epidemiological determinants of obesity among nursing staff in a tertiary healthcare center in northern Maharashtra: a cross sectional study
2. Assessment of Nutritional Status of Medical Students in a Tertiary Healthcare Teaching Hospital in Northern Maharashtra: A Cross Sectional Study
3. A cross sectional study of epidemiological determinants correlated with prevalence of hypertension among municipal school teachers located in suburban area
4. Relation of Risk Factors in Diabetes Mellitus among Municipal School Teachers Located in Suburban Area of a Metropolitan City: A Cross Sectional Study
5. Study of epidemiological determinants of burn cases admitted in a tertiary care centre of northern Maharashtra.
6. A cross sectional study to assess the modifiable risk factors and morbidity profile of elderly people in a village in tribal part of Maharashtra.
7. Assessment of knowledge and concerns for Organ Donation amongst nursing students and nursing staff in a medical teaching institute in Maharashtra.

 

2016:

1. Epidemiological study of health hazards & working conditions of brick kiln workers in rural area of north Maharashtra.
2. Epidemiological factors influencing breastfeeding practices among Muslim women residing in an urban slum
3. Assessment of the quality of services provided by tertiary care center in northern Maharashtra through the patients perspective.
4. Study of Risk Factors & Knowledge regarding Diabetes Mellitus, Random Capillary Blood Glucose Level among the Participants of a Camp at RHTC of Government Medical College, Northern Maharashtra, India.

 

2015:

1. A retrospective epidemiological study of delay for updated Thai red cross intradermal anti-rabies vaccination schedule amongst animal bite cases attending ARV clinic at a tertiary care centre.
2. Investigation of an Outbreak of Hepatitis’E’ in a Rural Area of Dhule District in Maharashtra.
3. Knowledge about Tuberculosis and DOTS center among newly registered pulmonary TB cases under DOTS centre located in Municipal ward of a Metropolitan city, Maharashtra
4. Awareness about HIV/AIDS among auto rickshow drivers at field practice area of an Urban health centre in Maharashtra.
5. Effect of immunization counseling skills training in third-year medical students.

 

 

List of Faculty Members

 

Staff working at RURAL HEALTH TRAINING CENTER:

Staff working at URBAN HEALTH TRAINING CENTER: (including field work and epidemiological studies)