Interface between health training, communities must: Mansukh Mandaviya

There is a need to build a visible interface between public health training and communities so that trained professionals can effectively deal with their problems, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Friday.

He was speaking at the inauguration of a new building of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) School of Public Health, which he said will be the first step towards ICMR-National Institute of Epidemiology’s goal of training at least 150 mid-level public health professionals over the next three years.

Special focus is being provided to the states with an inadequately trained workforce, the minister said.

Mandaviya said that the School of Public Health would boost the public workforce in the country.

Showcasing India’s achievements during Covid crises, he said indigenous capacity building, be it human resources or vaccination, has boosted the country’s stature on a global level as India has been ramping up its health infrastructure rapidly.

“Today, countries are seeking India’s vaccines and this should make us and our countrymen proud of our efforts,” he said.

Reiterating the crucial role played by health professionals, Mandaviya noted, “The health workforce is the channel for delivering health interventions to populations. A critical mass of health professionals is necessary to manage the health system and is often a crucial limiting factor in the delivery of quality health services.”

He further stated, “It is time for the country to develop a public health culture by creating a robust public health education system.”

The minister said not only the public health education needs to be at par with the international-level but also it must be able to respond to public health issues at local levels in the country.

Noting the significance of holistic health education and its implementation to communities, he further added that there is a need to build a visible interface between public health training and communities so that trained professionals can effectively deal with the problems in the communities.

“Interdisciplinary learning, which enables public health professionals to identify multiple determinants of health and influence them through multi-sectoral pathways, must be promoted. Public health learning needs to become more real-world oriented and equip the practitioner with problem-solving skills.

“It is imperative to increase the interface of public health education with the health system, especially with health services at various levels, to ensure that public health professionals can become effective change agents and elevate the health system toward greater efficiency and equity,” he added.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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