IN a developing country such as India, where health services for the public are inadequate, expertise in family medicine is important. The Christian Medical College (CMC) in Vellore is offering a two-year postgraduate course in family medicine through distance education.
Some 2.5 lakh doctors in the country do not possess a postgraduate qualification owing to limited training opportunities. This has led to a high referral rate among doctors with MBBS degrees, which in turn inflates health care costs.
This vicious cycle can be broken only by ensuring availability of more trained doctors. The CMCs distance education programme will build the capacity of general practitioners, transforming them into family medicine doctors. A family medicine doctor can resolve 80 per cent of the cases that come to him without giving a referral.
A telemedicine link will be used to provide 75 video lectures. In a year, 26 days of contact programme will be held. A small research project will also be part of the course.
Paramedical sciences include subjects such as nursing, Siddha medicine, homeopathy, Ayurveda, Unani medicine, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, naturopathy and yoga. A higher secondary degree in the sciences, including biology, is enough to apply for these courses.
Nursing is one of the courses that are in demand. The Colleges of Nursing in the Madras Medical College and the Madurai Medical College offer graduate courses. Private colleges such as PSG College of Nursing in Coimbatore, M.A. Chidambaram College of Nursing, Chennai, and Bishops College of Nursing, Erode also offer this course. In Chennai, the Government Medical Hospital, Stanley Medical College, Kilpauk Medical College and Kasturba Gandhi Hospital for Women and Children offer diploma courses.
There are two government-run Siddha medical colleges one in Palayamkottai and the other in Chennai offering Bachelors in Siddha Medical Sciences (BSMS).
Homeopathy is taught at the Government Homeopathic Medical College in Madurai. Besides, a number of private medical colleges offer graduate courses in homeopathy. Among them are Sri Sairam Homeopathy Medical College and Research Centre in Kancheepuram, Venkateshwara Homeopathic Medical College in Chennai and Vinayaka Missions Kirupananda Variyar Medical College, Salem.
For Unani medicine, there is the Government Unani Medical College in Chennai. Those looking for an opportunity to master Ayurveda can join the Ayurvedic College in Coimbatore, Venkatramana Ayurveda College in Chennai, Dharma Ayurveda Medical Research Institute in Sriperambudur or Sri Sankara College of Ayurveda in Tiruchi.
For a degree in physiotherapy, the Government Institute of Physiotherapy in Tiruchi and Government Institute of Rehabilitation Science, Chennai, are good choices.
Among the private colleges are PSG College of Paramedical Sciences and Sri Ramakrishna Institute of Paramedical Sciences (both in Coimbatore), Annai Theresa Institute of Paramedical Sciences in Salem, Vivekananda Institute of Medical Sciences and Research in Tiruchencode, Trinity Mission and Medical Foundation, Madurai, and Sree Balaji College of Physiotherapy in Chennai.
There are two private colleges offering innovative courses in naturopathy and yogic sciences: J.S.S. Institute of Naturopathy & Yogic Sciences in Udhagamandalam and Tamil Nadu College of Naturopathy & Yoga Research in Salem.
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