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Dr Ajay Kalra delivering his presidential address at UP Pedicon, Allahabad.
PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS - DR. AJAY KALRA, PROFESSOR PEDIATRICS, S.N. MEDICAL COLLEGE, AGRA, 30th ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF UP STATE BRANCH OF INDIAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS, ALLAHABAD – HOTEL KANHA SHYAM – 14th NOVEMBER’2009.
The academy in UP is 30 years young now. Over the years, it has gained in stature, influence and prestige due to great efforts of our learned predecessors. I am full of admiration and appreciation of their contribution and accept their heritage with utmost humility as a sacred trust. I will try my best to carry forward their illustrious work.
Friends, now let us have a quick view of the status of child health in our state. We have the highest infant motality rate in the country (73/1000 live births as compared to national average of 57/1000), one of the lowest immunization rates in the country (51% fully immunized as against the all India data of 63%); 42% of our children are under nourished (which is the same as of the national level) and the prevalence of anemia in pre-school children is more than 70%. No wonder, the Vice President of our country was constrained to express his anguish over the situation by slamming health indices in the state. The situation thus leads to frustration and helplessness on the status of child health in the state and we often end up into blaming the system.
But the answer to these problems also arises from this situation of helplessness. For, it is said that, “Worst things in your life have within them the seeds of the best – Jeo Kogel”.
The answer is, that in the face of helplessness think of empowerment. When I say empowerment, it does not mean getting power by fighting elections and then sticking on to it. What it means is to strengthen ourselves to the extent that we are able to be the harbinger of change or to be the change itself. It seems there are some ways by which we can do so.
We can empower ourselves by increasing our membership. This increase is not to be an increase for the purpose of filling registers. It is not an increase for the purpose of trade unionism or for our vested interest. But it is to form a great team whose members know each other, who are able to communicate with each other, who are able to learn from each other and who work jointly for the welfare of the child. Today our membership stands at 748 as compared to 1580 members from our state in the Central IAP while there are more than 3000 Pediatricians in the state. We have branches in only 28 out of 75 districts. It is indeed a challenge to increase the membership and the branches and to convert them from passive into active units.
This empowerment is by acquiring knowledge and keeping ourselves updated. This is getting better now in this era of information technology. Further, the Central IAP every year makes a plan of action which we can use to enhance the knowledge of our members.
The process of gaining knowledge is continuous. We must be prepared to learn, unlearn and re-learn. In the last few decades, the medical profession was busy dealing with sickness and diseases. The focus has now shifted from being disease centric to health centric. We realize that there it is more important to use less medicines to preserve and promote good health rather than treat with too many medicines.
“The superior doctor prevents illness.
The mediocre attends to impending illness.
The inferior doctor treats actual illness”
………..Chinese Proverb
By empowerment I also mean capacity building in the government medical colleges and hospitals. After years of lukewarm attitude, the medical colleges and hospitals are now being equipped again. New faculty and staff are being inducted. The young faculty and staff are enthusiastic, knowledgeable and ready to deliver the goods. I feel optimistic that with the new life infused in these institutions, they can become centers of service and excellence.
This empowerment also means not only strengthening ourselves but also educating and training the paramedical staff employed in the private hospitals and clinics. In fact, 90% of the health services are provided by the private sector. This private sector employs a large number of paramedical staff who do not have any opportunity of in-service training and is not available for national health schemes. If we can provide in-service training to this untapped manpower, the results would be tremendous. We have already started working on a module for this and hopefully we would be able to provide it to those interested after January. Such an attempt was initiated at Surat in Gujarat by my friend Dr. Digant Shastri. It was so successful that the Gujarat Government adopted it and has made this training mandatory for licensing private clinics and hospitals.
Another way of empowerment is by Research, collection and sharing of data. In this field, we are woefully way behind. Our friend Dr. Vipin Vashistha from our own state has given a lead by his research which has brought international recognition to the Indian Academy of Pediatrics. He was able to solve the mystery behind the mysterious deaths in Western UP, Haryana and other states by finding out that the cause was actually seeds from a locally growing weed and not Encephalitis as believed till that time. Thus, research can take place even in the smallest and remotest of set ups. It can start with documentation of observations.
As I said earlier, if we wish to see a change, we have to begin ourselves. The onus to do so lies with us. For, “Changes are not brought about by those with credentials but by those with concerns” - Anonymous
So, friends, what does the team 2010 of UP IAP propose to do this year? We do not wish to make any promises because we do not want such a picture to emerge by the end of our tenure where we may have to say we could do nothing due to lack of funds. But, the team 2010 does hope to be able to do the following :-
President’s Ten-point Agenda:-
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Increase membership
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Bring out directory
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Launch a website
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Publish newsletters
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Bring out Journal
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Establish liaison with government and NGOs
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Encourage members for parent education programmes.
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Encourage members to participate in child health programmes of government and IAP
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Provide module for inservice training of para-medical staff of private sector
- Hold CMEs at district level
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With Dr. Vineet Saxena continuing as secretary, I am sure we will be able to achieve our objectives.
Finally let us remember that : “The destiny of our beloved land lies not with us but with our children”……..Mahatma Gandhi.
Jai Hind!
- Ajay Kalra, Allahabad, November 14th 2009
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