A group of medical professionals has emphasised the value of family practitioners in the healthcare system, claiming that they can provide comprehensive care and lessen the pressure on secondary and tertiary hospitals. The Academy of Family Physicians of India (AFPI), whose members demanded the addition of family medicine training to the MBBS curriculum on September 25, commemorated the organization’s founding day. They stressed that they serve as a single point of contact for all of a family’s healthcare requirements and lessen the needless pressure on secondary and tertiary healthcare systems.
“A family physician is not only a family doctor, but also works as a guide, who aids a family in making informed healthcare decisions,” stated Dr. Raman Kumar, AFPI national president.” Doctors from all around India attended the AFPI Foundation Day, and specialists from diverse professions held a nationwide consultation on the COVID-19’s mandate that “training as a family physician” be included in the MBBS curriculum at all Indian medical colleges. “National Family Medicine Day was also declared on the AFPI foundation day, according to Dr. Kumar.
The foundation day oration was given by Dr SK Sarin, director of the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences in New Delhi and president of the National Academy of Medical Sciences (NAMS). He asserted that “family doctors play a crucial role in the prevention of diseases and their complications.” Alok Saxena, the director of the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS), emphasised the importance of and the resurgence of family medicine in the nation. “Training MBBS doctors as family physicians is of the utmost significance,” he declared. All doctors do not necessarily need to become hospital-based specialists, hence there should be structured training during MBBS.
Director of AIIMS Gorakhpur, Prof. Surekha Kishore, served as the event’s chief guest. She promised, as a member of the National Medical Commission, to bring up the subject of family doctors and their training.
