The Spice Route
An AFPI Initiative for participation in South Asia regional forum of family medicine residents and recently qalified family medicine doctors
(In Association with FFPAI)
The South Asia Region of Wonca now has its own young doctors’ movement.Inspired by the Vasco da Gama Movement (http://www.vdgm.eu) – Europe and The Rajakumar Movement (www.rajakumarmovement.org ) - Asia pacific. , a new group called “the Spice Route” was launched at the South Asia Region conference in Nepal Dec 2010. Dr Ramnik Parekh made a presentation at the conference outlining the details of the group. Dr Sonia Chery of UK described the need for such a movement and Dr Raman Kumar gave a sketch of the contemporary scenario of training of family medicine in India. The session was chaired by Wonca President, Professor Richard Roberts.
The Spice Route Working Party Kathmandu Dec 2010
Dr ramnik Parikh (FFPAI), Dr Samreen Kausar (Aga Khan University Karachi), Dr Sonia Cherey (UK) Dr Jyoti Parikh ( FFPAI), Dr Sanjib Tiwari MD GP Resident Kathmandu, Dr Rakesh Prasad Shahi ( Vice President AFPI) & Dr Raman Kumar (President AFPI)
Mission and Vision
- Foster mentoring between current & future leaders in family medicine in the South Asia Region
- Promote representation by young family medicine leaders in the South Asia Region
- Allow young & future family doctors an avenue to explore the greater depth of our clinical discipline
- Expose young doctors to the cultural differences in family medicine across our region.
- Provide an international perspective on training in family medicine and enable us to work together within our region to strengthen the role of primary health care in each of our communities
- Contribute to the development of new structures to support high quality primary health care with ideas from the future family medicine workforce.
- Promote training in family medicine and induct fresh graduates in family practice
- Promote family medicine in the South Asia region
- Allow learning from the diverse, old and young countries in our region where there are many models of family medicine
- Explore possibilities of exchanges with other movements
Aims and Objects
- Providing a forum, support & information for trainees & young GPs through access to WONCA South Asia regional conferences & national GP conferences wherever possible.
- Establishing a communication network between South Asian trainees & young GPs & identifying their concerns, doubts & aspirations and helping to address them.
- Improving the quality of training programmes for general practice by establishing a central information database on South Asian programmes, & setting quality standards.
- Writing & publishing newsletters concerning the movement for national colleges & associations
- Working with host Organizing Committees in organising junior doctors preconference meetings held during WONCA South Asia regional conferences
- Collaborating with national colleges & associations in general practice, & stimulating the formation of national representation of young & future GPs
- Collaboration with international organisations of general practice & the representation of the movement at international meetings.