Academy of Family Physicians of India

Conference Announcement

Family Medicine South Asia  Regional Conference

WONCA SAR Mumbai 2011

(16-18 Dec 2011) 

Hosted by FFPAI, organised by GPA in colloboration with AFPI

 

REGISTER ONLINE

 

 

 

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WONCA

        World organisation of family doctors

 

WONCA is acronym comprising the first five initials of the World Organization of National Colleges, Academies and Academic Associations of General Practitioners/Family Physicians. Wonca's short name is World Organization of Family Doctors Wonca is made up of national colleges, academies or organizations concerned with the academic aspects of general family practice. Beginning with 18 members in 1972, there are now 120 member organizations in 99 countries. This includes 10 organizations in collaborative relations with Wonca. In all, the total membership of the member organizations of Wonca is over 250,000 general practitioners/family physicians. Wonca represents and acts as an advocate for its constituent members at an international level where it interacts with world bodies such as the World Health Organization.     Read More

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                 India Habitat Center New Delhi 23rd July 2011

                                Read - Full Report

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                      Prof Micheal Kidd 

                              WONCA President Elect joins AFPI advisory board  

                                                                 Read more 

 

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     Family Medicine Digital Resource Library

 

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     Research in family medicine  

   The WONCA research committee 

                    Read more                      

 

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                         The Spice Route

 

 

AFPI Initiative for participation in South Asia Regional forum of residents and recently qualified primary care physicians. (In Association with  FFPAI).  Read More

 

    

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Vasco da gama movement Europe

 

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The Rajakumar movement Asia Pacific

 

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What is family medicine?

About Family Medicine

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What are four principles of Family Medicine?

 

What are the eleven characteristic of the discipline of Family Medicine?

 

How training is conducted in family medicine in various countries at graduate and post graduate level?

 

Which Family Medicine qualifications are available in India?

 

 Read More  

 

 

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Why Should I Join MD/DNB Family Medicine?

I have recently completed MBBS  and now getting DNB/MD Family Medicine through CET central counseling / All India MD/MS entrance. Why Should I join Family Medicine?

Read more

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AFPI Rainbow

(For NRI & PIO Family Physicians)

coming soon

An exclusive academic forum for family medicine faculty, residents and practicing family physicians of Indian origin residing abroad. Please write with you ideas, comments and suggestions to afpionline@live.com

Read More

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Family Medicine Advocacy:

Family Medicine and medical education reforms: Prof P Zachariah's article in "The Hindu"  Read more

Economic Times: 23rd August 2011: What ails the neignbourhood doctor  Read More

Family Medicine India Meet 23rd July 2011: Shri K Chandramauli, Health Secretary, Government of India ‘Family medicine is very important in India but we have a huge shortage of doctors and gaps in medical education that need to be filled' Read More

              AFPI President's Message

Dear Friends! 

It is my privilege to welcome you all to  “Academy of Family Physicians of India.”. The phenomenon of family medicine has been unduly delayed in our country. Various factors might have contributed to this, but the primary reason has been failure of evolution of medical education in India with times. There have been competing interests of various licensing authorities, interests of health care industry and denial posturing of other specialties.   

Family Medicine touches lives of individuals irrespective of age, sex, community and language. When we talk of India, we mean to touch lives of more than one billion people.   

We live in today's vibrant India, in the times of economic growth and growing aspirations.  When we are aspiring for and achieving international standard tertiary health facilities, there should be no reason why Indian population should be deprived of quality primary health care.

There is widespread misconception about family medicine in India. The image of primary care physicians who practice as "family physicians" is that or less qualified, less skilled and less knowledgeable doctors. By adopting the approach of the specialty of "Family Medicine", we are promoting a new breed of highly skilled primary care physicians, who are best equipped and skilled to provide community based preventive and clinical services. Their specialization lies in provision of comprehensive and continued care for individual and the community.

For other specialties and sub specialties, the focus of training and knowledge base is VERTICAL in nature i.e. skills to manage rarest of the rare diseases. The approach of family medicine is HORIZONTAL and training focus is on developing skills for managing common illnesses, encompassing a wide spectrum of medical science. Family Medicine is about decentralization and democratization of clinical skills for the benefit of the community, so that individuals can avail quality care at a price they can afford. It is well established fact that skilled family physicians can manage up to 90% of illness related problems in a given community.

We need dispel the myth from the minds of medical students and post graduate aspirants that "Family Medicine" is less academically challenging, low income generating, and relates only to referral of patients to the specialists. In past, we have seen individual family practices sites growing into large hospitals and institutes. This happened because unlike other specialists family physicians started their practice early and were directly based in the community. They did not depend on others for success. Family practice is also fulfilling academically and professionally as skilled family physicians can manage a wide variety of clinical conditions by themselves and they have to identify rare and appropriate problems for referral to specialist care. India still needs thousands and thousands of community based medical practitioners. 

To my knowledge, ten medical colleges have applied to MCI (Medical Council of India) for starting MD- Family Medicine (Post Graduate level). Unfortunately none of them materialized due to various reasons. Very good progress has been achieved at CMC Vellore, where a separate department has been created with faculty from family medicine itself.

We have inspiring success stories in our neighboring countries. We have MD (GP) at Kathmandu since eighties, MD – family medicine (now changed to General Practice and Emergency Medicine ) at BPKIHS Dharan Nepal, four year well established program at Aga Khan University at Karachi Pakistan and MD- family medicine at PGIM, University of Colombo.

Due to existence of wide disparity of health care facilities in various parts of India, family medicine must reflect local community needs. Apart from helping government agencies in implementing health care programs, we need to set academic standards and practice protocols for Indian conditions. We need to actively participate and associate ourselves with ongoing process of advance scientific knowledge, public health initiatives, policies related to health sector and medical education.

We are looking forward for association with academies of international primary care physicians, residency programs, faculty and practicing clinicians for mutual exchange of resources.

Once again I offer my heartiest congratulation to the whole family medicine fraternity of India. We all need to put our efforts together to take family medicine to “next level” in India.

Dr Raman Kumar

President  AFPI India 

 

07 December

Family Medicine in India
Family Medicine in India! Is Family Medicine new to India? Family Practice/ General Practice is the oldest form medical practice in India. Even today it is the main modality of health care delivery involving large numbers of medical professionals. In India about 70 to 80 percent of health care is delivered by private sector, family physicians form the [...]

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                                  Photo Gallery            

Family Medicine: The Way Ahead

News Update

New Delhi: 10th Sept 2010

Creation of posts for DNB family medicine in NRHM  & Initiation of MD Family Medicine discussed at Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MOHFW) Govt of India. Read More  

Kathmandu: 2nd Dec 2010

"The Spice Route Movement" movement for young and future FPs launched at Kathmandu - WONCA GPAN - South Asia Family Medicine Conference. Participating Countries: India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives Afganistan. Read more 

Andhra Pradesh

Affiliation for DNB (Family Medicine) in all District Hospitals in Andhra Pradesh India Read More

Bihar

30 NRHM Medical Officers from Bihar to be trained in DNB family medicine in State Programme Implementation Plan of NRHM for the year 2010-11.

Banglore:

Personal Physician brings back healing touch Read More

Lucknow:7th Dec2010

MD Family Medicine at KGMC (CSMMU) Lucknow on cards Read More

New Delhi: 1st Jan 2011

Major reforms in undergraduate medical curriculum Read More

Family Medicine in India! 

  Is Family Medicine new to India?

Family Practice/ General Practice is the oldest form medical practice in India. Even today it is the main modality of health care delivery involving large numbers of medical professionals. In India about 70 to 80 percent of health care is delivered by private sector, family physicians form the largest group of health care providers coming into first contact with the patients.

Scientific training and skill development of this group of practitioners has a major impact on health care delivery system.  However there has been a general reluctance in accepting "family medicine" as a separate academic specialty. 

The licensing procedure in India allows doctors to practice medicine immediately after completion of graduate qualification i.e. MBBS. Also there is a large gap in the ratio of graduate (MBBS)  and post graduate(MD/MS) training positions. As a result majority of MBBS students do not get opportunity for further career enhancement, leading to large number of them aspiring to migrate abroad.

It has been long realized that India is short of skilled primary care physicians. The development of health facilitates in India have largely remained specialty and subspecialty based. Islands of clinical excellence have  developed, which do not serve the large sections of the populations. 

MBBS training has failed to evolve and able to cater community needs directly due to long pending medical education reforms. Due to rapid advancement of medical science during in last few decades, plain MBBS level general practice is not able to cater to the primary health care needs of urban, semi urban and rural & remote populations. As a result there has been a gradual decline in the prestige of general practice.

Development of "Academic Family Medicine" in India

Family Medicine has been recognized as a separate specialty by Medical Council of India since 1983 by amendment in first schedule of MCI act. DNB (Diplomate of National Board) -Family Medicine is a recognized post graduate qualification since 1983.  Since than, family medicine has evolved as structured three year residency based training program.

This training program is largely based and delivered through NBE (National Board of Examination - a body of ministry of health & family welfare,  India www.natboard.edu.in ) accreditated health institution.

It was 2002. when Government of India formally accepted the importance of  "Family Medicine" in the “National Health Policy 2002"  and committed for urgent upliftment of this specialty. Recently the number NBE accredited institutions providing family medicine residency training has risen sharply. At present there are about 700 DNB post graduate training posts available annually at 200 NBE accredited health institutions in India.  

Future of Family Medicine in India:

The success of several ambitious projects of government of India like "National Rural Health Mission" largely depend on revival of "Family Medicine" in India. Also for the high end, private, hi - tech health facilities to survive, growth of family medicine is essential. No tertiary care system can develop without an efficient primary care delivery system. With limited paying capacity and out of pocket spending for health, high end tertiary care facilities depend on growth of health insurance in India. For health insurance sector to survive, the development of family medicine is critical.  

Medical Education Reforms and Family Medicine in India

The concept of Family Medicine offers an  unique solution to the ongoing medical education reforms in India. Within the  existing infrastructure and shortage of faculty for sub specialties, thousands of post graduate family medicine seats can be created by initiating MD - Family Medicine. Three to four year duration of these family medicine PG seats can be distributed over training at medical college  hospital, district hospitals and primary health centers/ urban community health centers and GP practice sites. This approach will efficiently address the acute shortage of physicians in rural and underserved populations. Also the availability of opportunities will effectively counter migration of qualified doctors to overseas. Presently we have seen several doctors wasting 5-7 years for entrance of post graduate medical seats only to get diploma in specialties which have limited value to the individual doctors and the community. Rural posting has always been offered as punishment for young doctors. Never it has been packedged as career enhancement and academic acomplishment. There is need to build up an environment where a person opting for rural practice has an opportunity to become "professor of rural medicine."

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