DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY MEDICINE

Dr. Star Pala. MD, Assistant Professor

Introduction

The Deparmtment of Community Medicine was started on a regular basis since August 2009. The Department is located in the basic sciences block. The department has 12 rooms including laboratory, seminar hall, library and a museum.

The department is attached to two urban (Laban State Dispensary and Mwalai-Mawroh PHC) and two rural health centers (Diengpasoh PHC and Mawphlang CHC) in East Khasi Hills District as field practice area of NEIGRIHMS for training of undergraduate and post graduate students.

The department participated in various National and State health programme of Meghalaya which will later be expanded to other North Eastern States in different capacities and also to conduct research studies on the public health problems prevailing in the North Eastern Region

Academic Activities and Training

• Teaching and training of MBBS students (I to VII semester)
• Problem based learning for MBBS students in the community (rural and urban areas)
• Resident Doctors Training Program: for Senior and Junior Resident Doctors
• Weekly seminar/Journal Club in the department.

Hospital Services

The Department of Community is the coordinating different NRHM activities in NEIGRIHMS, in collaboration with the Health Department, Government of Meghalaya in different capacity.

The department had conducted several poster exhibitions and competition in NEIGRIHMS on the occasion of different important international health days like; 

• World Diabetes Day: Poster exhibition on the 14th November 2010
• National Integration Week (19th to 25th November 2010) was observed on the 20th November 2010 as part of NSS activity in NEIGRIHMS.
• World AIDS Day: Poster exhibition on the 1st December 2010
• World TB Day: Poster exhibition & competition on the 24th March 2011

The major objective of these exhibitions was to create public awareness among staff, students, patients & their attendants in NEIGRIHMS. During the above exhibitions, health talks on the respective subjects were delivered both in English and in local languages for the patient and their attendants.

Community Services

1. The Department has been conducting regular field visits with the under graduate students to the field practice areas of the department for orientation and field based training of MBBS students. Students participated in various health activities of the local health institution like health talk on various public health issues. School health checks up were also conduct in the field practice area. Epidemiological exercises on various public health issues were taken by the students as part of their learning for epidemiology and biostatistics in the community.
2. The Department has started providing OPD outreach services every week in Tynring sub centers on every Friday under Diengpasoh PHC as part of rural health Training Center. More than 200 OPD cases were attended. These services will be expanded with availability of manpower.
3. Health Camp:
   1. Organized a mini-health camp at lumparing village under Laban State Dispensary on the 23rd April 2010 along with the 2nd year MBBS students.
   2. Participated in the health camp at Mawthawpdah, West Khasi Hills on the 17th July 2010.
   3. Participate in the health camp organized by the Catholic Officers Association of Shillong at Mawlong, East Khasi Hills, Meghalaya on 21st August 2010.
   4. Participate in the health camp organized  the Women’s Wing, Unitarian Church, North East India on the 28th Sept 2010 at Puriang village.
   5. Participated in the two days District level health mela organized by the National Rural Health     Mission, Shillong, Meghalaya on the 25-26th November 2010 at Mawphlang PHC.

Training

• Participation in the quarterly state review meeting of RNTCP, Meghalaya
• Participation in two sessions (National Health Programs) in the six months certificate course on Health Care management for Doctors and Hospital professionals of the North Eastern Region organized by the Rajiv Gandhi Indian Institute of Management, Shillong in on the 30th August and 6th September 2010.

Research

In Progress
Sex Ratio among children 0-6 years with conditional birth order

Proposed

• Initial default among TB patient diagnosed at Medical Colleges in India: Issues and possible intervention (Coordinating center is Pondicherry Institute of Medical Sciences)
• Pattern of Mortality in a tertiary hospital (NEIGRIHMS)