Dr.Sudha Ramalingam Head of the Department of Community Medicine

The Department is committed in providing the environment and resources to support excellence in Community Orientation and develop Primary care, Communication and Community-based Research Skills for both Undergraduate and Postgraduate students through large community based projects.

As a member of The International Network of Community Oriented Health Professions Educational Institutions, the Institute ensures that every medical student is taught fundamental clinical skills and patient-centered primary care. For this purpose, the department has:

• One Urban Health Center at Peelamedu covering 10,000 urban poor community
• Four Rural Health Centers at Vedapatti, Neelambur and Karadivavi covering over 100,000 rural population, offering extensive field-practice areas

It also has a post graduate program (MD) in Community Medicine.

In addition to the faculty, the teaching fraternity of the department includes health care professionals dedicated to leadership in teaching, research and service. They focus on the advancement of the discipline of Community Medicine, enhance the health of the community and prepare doctors for preparing doctors for Primary Health Care. The Department offers new age technology and facilities to enhance advanced medical learning through state of the art laboratories and seminar halls equipped with multimedia.

The department has a Community Oriented training program (listed below) that exposes students to gain real health care experience under the guidance of the teaching fraternity.

• “Community Orientation Program” in first year
• Exposure to Family Health Care and Community-based Research through its “Problem Solving for Better Health” Project in second year
• “Community Health Program” in third year
• Internship to develop Skills for Primary Health Care through its “Competent Primary-care Intern Program”

PSG Institute is a member of:

• Health Policy Research Network – HELPONET, a National level Network of Health Institutions coordinated by IIM Ahmedabad.
• At the State-level, it is a member of the Tamilnadu Voluntary Health Association through which its networks with NGOs in Western Tamilnadu and provides the NGOs with Health manpower expertise and services.

The Department runs various community-based projects apart from its academic and social development activities. To name a few:

• The International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) Funded “Integrated Family Development Project” (1987-1995)
• The Govt. Of India-MOH&FW funded “Reproductive & Child Health Project” (1999-2004)
• The WHO-AIIMS “Surveillance of Cardiovascular risk- factors & educational intervention project”
• The Bill & Melinda Gates WHO IARC “Cervical cancer Screening cum RCT of Single Freeze Vs Double Freeze Cryotherapy” (2003-2005)
• The USAID-APAC Project for prevention & control of HIV/AIDS “Continuing Education & Training Center” and “PSG AIDS Infotech Center & Website (www.psgaidsinfo.org)

Research

Extramural Research Projects–Ongoing and recent ones

• Health Enables Returns (HER) Project in Garment Factories in and around Tirupur
• Biomedical Waste Management training for Health care workers
• Private Public Partnership Project in Implementing ICTC and PMTCT in Private Hospitals in Tamil Nadu.
• Vitamin A prophylaxis and control of iron deficiency anaemia: ground realities – findings published in the Sight & Life Magazine. 2008; 3:28-36.
• Monitoring and Supervision of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme in Tamil Nadu

Intramural Research Projects – Current & Completed ones

The Competent Intern Project, The Problem Solving for Better Health Project, Risk factors for Non Communicable Diseases among Industrial workers of Coimbatore, Prevalence of hypertension and obesity among school children , Developing interns competency for diabetes care at primary health care centers.

Developing Research Aptitude among medical under graduates, Prevalence of Non-communicable disease risk factors and HDL activity among Tribals in Nilgiris, Self-assessment by students: a method for program evaluation & further training needs assessment and continuous quality improvement

Positive Deviance: An approach to Community – based management of childhood Malnutrition.

Research Activities in the Department of Community Medicine – PSGIMSR

 I. Projects

A. Completed Projects

• Non Communicable Diseases
• Communicable Diseases
• Maternal and Child Health
• Nutrition
• Medical Education
• Social Determinants of Health
• Others including those in collaboration with other departments/ institutions

Facilities

• Field-Practice areas attached to two PSG Rural Health Centres Vedapatti, Neelambur ) and one PSG Urban Health Centre Peelamedu help students through experiential learning at first contact level. We also have PSG Rural Hospital at Karadiwavi to help Interns experience Secondary level care.
• The Department Library is recognized as a WHO Reference Library. It has a large repository of books and journals to help students learn as well as do research.
• Research Room has resources for students including computers with statistical software and internet access so that they can access information and do statistical analysis of large data.
• Primary Care Competency Lab provides simulated conditions of doctor in a primary care clinic to manage common diseases and develop counseling and case management skills through deliberate practice and feedback from peers, faculty and CCTV video
• Department of Community Medicine Wikispace: has resources to help PG students and faculty to access rare and valuable resources compiled by faculty
• PSG@PSBH Blog is a useful resource for UG students carrying out Problem Solving for Better Health Research cum Health Educational Intervention projects

Faculty

The department has many qualified faculty who have received special Medical Education Technology training as teachers as well as have undergone the Educational Leadership Fellowship program under the “The FAIMER Institute” in India and abroad.