PGI to help Nepal build health plan

Chandigarh, June 25

The Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGI) is going to share its best practices of healthcare with the Nepal Medical Association for a year and help the neighbouring country make a health plan.

The support is being provided to the association under a programme sponsored by the Ministry of External Affairs.

The programme is aimed at enhancing skills and competencies of the neighbouring nation for addressing public health challenges and strengthening the efficiency of organisations in resource-constrained settings.

Sonu Goel, director of the programme and Professor, Department of Community Medicine and School of Public Health, said the dignitaries from Nepal and the GoI were on a six-day visit to the PGI during which they were shown teleconsultation, tele-evidence and organ donation mechanism. In Nepal, teleconsultation is not robust as they do it through phones only. They were keen on adopting some of the best practices at the PGI. “We will be collaborating with the Nepal association for a year and aid them in building a health plan. An action-taken report will be submitted at the end of the programme,” added Goel.

“It is the first-of-its-kind programme in India where you may find a diversity of cultures and experiences along with learning of public health management and leadership principles,” said Ashok Bhardwaj, Chairman, National Task Force, National Tuberculosis Programme, GoI.

During the six-day visit, a two-day study tour to Shimla was also organised for the delegation, providing its members an opportunity to observe an integration of various national programmes.