Chandigarh: Delegates from 20 countries learn public health management at PGIMER

The department of community medicine and School of Public Health at PGIMER, Chandigarh, organised a 10-day flagship programme in public health, from February 21 to March 2, and 37 senior-level participants from 20 countries participated in the event.

Senior medical officials of 20 countries are learning public health management and leadership through ‘gamification’, a technique of learning through playing games, at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) to enhance learning and improve productivity.

Senior medical officials of 20 countries are learning public health management and leadership through ‘gamification’, a technique of learning through playing games, at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, to enhance learning and improve productivity. (HT Photo)

The department of community medicine and School of Public Health at PGIMER organised a 10-day flagship programme in public health, from February 21 to March 2, and 37 senior-level participants from 20 countries of Asia, Africa, East Europe, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Small Island countries including Syria, Kingdom of Eswatini, Tanzania, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Paraguay, Nepal, Kazakhstan, Botswana, Tajikistan, Oman, Mexico, Liberia, Zambia, Bhutan, South Sudan, Iraq, Mongolia, and Mauritius participated in the event.

The PGIMER provided special sessions on tele-medicine, tele-evidence and organ donation to the delegates, who wish to replicate the institute’s models in their countries for better public health management.

Dr Sonu Goel, programme director of the ongoing International Public Health Management Development Programme (IPHMDP) and professor in PGIMER’s community medicine department, said, “The gamification technique introduced in this programme since its inception in year 2016 has enhanced participation and engagement of multi-country participants, motivates them and build stronger cohesive networks among participants of developing nations which will help in strengthening the aim of Indian technical economic cooperation and ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’, ancient Indian philosophy.”

“The entire course is taught using a variety of formal and informal teaching methods, including role plays, group discussions, critical analysis, problem-solving exercises, case studies, quizzes, videos, management games, and interview sessions. They are also introduced to public health management using the ancient knowledge of the Indian subcontinent,” said Dr Kritika Upadhyay, programme coordinator.

“We were introduced to state-of-art practices in clinical care,” said Erica, medical specialist from Mexico. Another delegate Apurba, deputy superintendent of police and medical doctor from Nepal, said that best practices in TB control programme, digital surveillance and management of NCDs and intra-dermal vaccination for rabies in Himachal Pradesh shown during field visit to State Institute Health and Family Welfare Training, Shimla, will be useful for their country.

Dr David from Nigeria said that they are facing scarcity of doctors in their country and tele-medicine and tele-evidence will help their country to overcome such shortages.