RIHFW Kashmir
Publications
Production and publication of various types of technical and non-technical education and information material is a very crucial function of any institute set up for continuing medical education or extension education. Our institute could not be said to be fully functional without embarking upon various publications for medical profession and the common man.
A) Publications for the medical profession
The Regional Institute has been established to serve as an apex institute for in-service training of doctors and paramedics of the State. It is widely recognized that once a doctor graduates from a medical college and is inducted into the district health services system, he generally loses track of the changing trends and newer developments in diagnosis and management. Most often the only source of information available to a doctor working in the field for remaining abreast with recent developments in health and medical sciences is the professionally-doctored literature of pharmaceutical companies, which is business-oriented and aggressively promotive. With the passage of time a knowledge gap develops between the doctor serving in rural areas and the one serving in a teaching hospital, which is one of the main reasons that would undermine all improvements in infra-structural development in rural areas.
To fill this gap, the Institute undertook publication of technical material as a means of continuing medical education. Aim is to provide problem-oriented, scientifically-updated and practically-useful professional information to the rural doctor so that he has free access to the latest in the concerned sphere. In the last 3 years, 7 books have been published for free distribution to medical officers of community health centres (CHC's) and primary health centres (PHC's).
Viral hepatitis is a burning problem in most districts of Kashmir, mainly the water-borne hepatitis E, which is endemic in Anantnag, Pulwama, and Baramulla, with sporadic cases and seasonal exacerbations reported from Srinagar, Budgam and Kupwara. Most of the fatal cases have had hepatitis B or a mixed infection. A book entitled 'Viral Hepatitis - Problems and Perspectives' was produced in March 2001 by the Institute to address this much ill-understood problem. The book amply discusses the epidemiology and management of viral hepatitis in the field, and is basically directed to provide internationally-recognized guidelines and to remove doubts.
Another book, 'Brucellosis - An Overview' was produced in the wake of a brucellosis epidemic in Leh which affected 78 persons in parts of that district. Brucellosis has been occurring sporadically in the farming communities of Kashmir for a long time but most of the times remains undiagnosed mainly because the rural doctor is not well-versed with its confusing presentation.
The third publication is a practical manual for medical officers to enable them to orient paramedics in the management, organization and implementation of the Reproductive and Child Health Programme in the field. The manual is distributed to all participants who complete the Integrated Skill Training at the Institute. Till now, more than 450 doctors have received this manual.
Anthrax scare was a not-too-distant global phenomenon which posed a formidable challenge especially to our doctors, the vast majority of whom might not have seen even a single case of anthrax throughout their short careers. It is indeed very difficult to diagnose its fatal forms, pulmonary, septic, meningeal etc, if the doctor does not have a high degree of suspicion. The Institute prepared a booklet, 'Anthrax - Natural and Man-made', on war-footing to apprise doctors in peripheries to the naturally-occurring anthrax and also to the potential of the microbe being used as a ‘bio-attack’ weapon. The eighty page booklet incorporates guidelines of the National Institute of Communicable Diseases New Delhi, and provides a comprehensive literature on diagnosis and management of inhalation anthrax in case of biological attack.
An additional 4 books were published in 2002 and 6 in 2003. This has brought the total number of technical books to 13.
- Viral Hepatitis: Epidemiology, Types, and Management
- Brucellosis: An overview
- Anthrax: Natural and Man-made
- Training Manual on Reproductive Child Health for Medical Officers
- Tuberculosis: DOTS, RNTCP and Related Issues
- Care of the Pregnant Mother and her Newborn
- Quality Assurance in Health Care
- Surveillance – A Medical Officer’s Handbook
- HIV/AIDS: A manual for doctors
- Sputum Microscopy
- TB Control: Guidelines for the TB Professional
- Water-borne Infection: Epidemiology and Prevention
- HIV/AIDS and AIDS Control Programme
The published books are being provided free to all district and sub-district hospitals and the primary health centres. It is hoped that the Regional Institute of Health Dhobiwan will be producing 5-6 books on hot medical issues every year for doctors in the field who otherwise used to feel handicapped for lack of continuing medical education.
B) Publications for the Common Man
While technical material is being prepared for the health providers to up-grade their knowledge and skills, the faculty of the Institute prepares public health education material on different aspects of health and disease useful to the common man. The material is produced in an easily comprehensible language without any unnecessary technical jargon. The aim is to increase the awareness level of the common man about his health problems and also to provide clear guidelines for him as to what should be done in case of need. The Institute has published 57 pamphlets in the last 4 years; the inaugural issues were released by the then Principal Secretary Health and Medical Education, Mr. H L Kadalbhaju, whose encouragement inspired us to decide to produce at least one new health education pamphlet every month.
The pamphlets issued include:
C) Other Publications
In addition to its own technical, educative and informative publications, the Institute also takes up publication of non-periodicals for sister departments in the Directorate of Health Services, Kashmir. One such example was the 'Report on Kargil Health Mela' which reported the first mega-health mela in Kashmir organized at the behest of the then Hon’ble Union Health Minister, Dr. C P Thakur, in October 2000 in the most backward district of the J and K State, Kargil. The historical event was graced by dignitaries from whole country and was a milestone in the health delivery in remote areas. The Institute aims to participate in highlighting the great strides achieved in health care delivery in the State during the last many years. The Regional Institute of Health and Family Welfare, Dhobiwan, published the special 'Biennial Report' in March 2002. In March 2003, the first annual report highlighted the achievements of the Institute in that year. The current Annual Report (April 2004) intends to sum up the training, research, surveillance and CME and IEC activities of the Institute.