Jipmer to train TN Ayush Physicians in Allopathy

PUDUCHERRY: Soon ayurveda, yoga, unani, siddha and homeopathy (Ayush) physicians in Tamil Nadu will practice allopathy and extend primary healthcare and treatment at rural regions in the country.

Jawaharlal institute of postgraduate medical education and research (Jipmer) and IKP centre for technologies in public health (ICTPH) have jointly proposed to launch an innovative training programme to train and

equip Ayush physicians with necessary skills and expertise to provide quality allopathy treatment in the primary healthcare sector in rural regions. 

Jipmer and ICTPH have begun framing the syllabus for the 'bridge training programme', a six-month course which the Ayush physicians need to complete successfully to practice allopathy (for primary healthcare sector only).

The two institutions have signed a memorandum of understanding to offer the bridge training programme. Jipmer director S C Parija and ICTPH director Sivaram signed the MoU on October 10.

"It is a novel initiative to address the challenges of lack of qualified healthcare professionals and inadequate access to quality healthcare especially in rural India.

"We have been working on to develop innovative strategies and to launch the bridge programme to train Ayush physicians to acquire skills and expertise to practice allopathy in primary healthcare sector," said head of preventive and social medicine, Jipmer, K C Premarajan, who is a member of the working group of the project.

Parija said the institute has formed a team of experts in medical education and subject specialists to review the proposed curriculum, plan the training and evaluate Ayush physicians.

"The programme will ensure training adequate number of physicians to provide primary healthcare in regions where basic healthcare facilities are not available," Premarajan said.

ICTPH has already partnered a NGO, 'SughaVazhu Healthcare' and trained ayurveda and siddha physicians, who have been practicing allopathy at Karambayam and Alakkudi villages Thanjavur district.

The trained physicians after recording the medical information of the patient perform tests to identify basic ailments including diabetes and hypertension.

Source: Times of India