Academic Activities
Undergraduate Training
Courses supported by the department: MBBS, B.Sc Nursing, B.Sc MLT.
The department imparts basic training to the undergraduates in Community Medicine, Community health and Nutrition, Biomedical Statistics, Medical Entomology and Parasitology, Demography and vital Statistics, Public health Administration, Epidemiology of Communicable and Non-Communicable Diseases and Medico -Sociology.
Post-graduate Training
The department offers the postgraduate courses of M.D in Community Medicine, Dip.N.B (Diplomate of National Board) in Community Medicine and PG Diploma in Public Health (D.P.H), and supports Post graduate Diploma courses in Maternal & Child Health (PGDMCH).
Post Graduate training is the sheet anchor of our academic activities.
Clinical Services
The department provides clinical services through two clinics attached to the Medical College Hospital.
Preventive Clinic
The preventive clinic provides comprehensive immunisation services to people across all age groups. It is manned by a medical officer, post graduate students, house surgeons, health inspectors and class IV employees. Routine immunization against childhood diseases are given on all Wednesdays. An important role of the clinic is rabies prevention by giving anti rabies vaccination. Other vaccination facilities available are against Hepatitis B and Hepatitis A, Chicken pox, tetanus, Mumps, Measles and Rubella.
Local OP
Out patient care facility was started under the auspices of this department in 1999. Local Out patient department was started to cater to the needs of the local population reporting to the Medical College Hospital from nearby without references. It is manned by one medical officer, two house surgeons and post graduate students from the department. The services provided include treatment of common illnesses and referral services to concerned specialty departments for the required cases.
Peripheral Centers
Two Primary Health Centers(PHCs) function under the administrative control of the department, one at Pangappara and other at Vakkom. These are designated as Medical College Health Units (MCHUs).
MCHU, Pangappara
This is the urban health Centre located on the National Highway at Pangappara. The centre was established in 1964 and renders services to a population of about 1.5 lakhs. There are 10 sub centres located in two Panchayats. This health centre is governed by an administrative medical officer who is an assistant professor from the department. There are three other doctors (Assistant surgeons) from the Directorate of Health Services. It also has the support of other hospital and field staff. It provides all the services and carries out all the activities of a full fledged PHC. It also provides hands on training to our undergraduate and postgraduate students in primary health care. In addition it provides training to students of allied medical and paramedical courses and global exchange programmes. Special patient care services include Hypertension clinic, dental out patient clinic and teenage care clinic.
MCHU, Vakkom
This is a rural health adopted by the department in 2004. The administrative medical officer is an Assistant Professor from the Department. This Community health centre is in the Vakkom panchayat of Chirayinkeezhu Taluk. It covers a total population of 19670, living within 6.5 sq.Km. There are 11 wards with 4128 houses. There are 2 mini PHC, under this CHC (Mundakkal and Kizhuvilam ) and two sub centers (Kodampally & Kannamangalam). In addition to the Administrative medical officer (an assistant Professor from Department of Community Medicine), there are doctors from the Directorate of Health Services. This centre also provides expertise of a Gynecologist, a Pediatrician and a Psychiatrist. The centre provides facilities for in-patient care and management. The centre provides training for house surgeons and posted graduate students in primary health care and rural health care.
The field activities conducted by the department include:
-
Mobile clinics conducted on week days at various locations in the city.
-
Medical Camps conducted in collaboration with governmental and non governmental agencies in needy places and situations.
-
Health Education programs conducted in various sections of the society like schools, colleges, residential associations and colonies.
In addition to the research activities carried out at the intra-departmental level (see the resources section) the following are the research projects undertaken by the department in collaboration with other agencies in recent times:
-
Evaluation of Vit A and Iron foliate supplementation program in India 2001-2002
-
Assessment of Injection Practices in India (2002-2003)- An INDIA CLEN Program Evaluation Network Study
-
Tracking Progress Towards Sustaining Elimination of Iodine Deficiency Disorders in Kerala, India (2001)
-
Health status of Tribal Populations of Kottoor and Achankovil Areas in Kerala (2001)
-
Morbidity, Mortality and health Seeking Behaviour in the Community- A Pilot Study_2003-2004)
The Department organizes regular research methodology workshops for Undergraduate and Post graduate students of all departments of the Medical College
Department conducts Continuing Medical Education Programs (CMEs) every year. The topic for 2005 is “ Zoonotic Infectious-Current Concerns”.
Public Health Updates- an ongoing monthly CME series of Health Professionals was launched in October 2005.
The Department is associating with the Modernising Government Program (MGP) Mission (Health), Govt. of Kerala and helps in the preparation and implementation of institutional plans, preparation of standards for assessing the quality of service delivery at Primary and Secondary care levels, preparation of state documents and standards manuals and in the training of trainers for various activities.
Research scholars and post-graduate students from various departments of the Medical College consult the department in areas such as Research Methodology, Biostatistics, Medical Entomology, Medico Sociology, Health Economics and Epidemiology.
The department provides consultation in Occupational Health.
The department helps the health services department with the investigation of outbreaks and epidemics.
The department provides consultancy and supervision in relation to Hospital sanitation and Hospital Waste Management to the Medical College hospitals.
Sentinel Surveillance Unit: The Department is functioning as a sentinel surveillance unit (SSU) for the National Programme of Prevention of Blindness.
Regional PEID Cell: A Regional Cell for Prevention of Epidemic and Infectious Diseases is functioning in the Department with an Associate Professor of the Department in charge.