Srinagar: Healthcare professionals, educators, and trainee doctors from around the country gathered in Srinagar today for a transformative workshop on Communication in Healthcare organised by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS).
The event, graced by the presence of Chief Guest Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (IC) Science and Technology, MoS PMO, Personnel Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space marked a significant milestone in underscoring the importance of proper communication in quality healthcare delivery.
In his address, Dr. Jitendra Singh underscored the profound importance of effective communication in the field of healthcare. He emphasized that healthcare is not just a science but an art, one that encompasses not only the diagnosis and treatment of illnesses but also the delicate and compassionate act of communicating with patients and their families.
The Union Minister expressed happiness in selecting Srinagar as the venue for this workshop and highlighted the rich legacy of healthcare of J&K. He said that the region has always been considered the seat of medical learning and has been way ahead in this field even when disturbances came up in the 1990s. “A series of successful meetings have led to this positive perception and evidence of the fact is that more and more events are taking place in the valley.”
Dr. Singh highlighted the astounding success of the G20 meeting organised at Srinagar which is considered one of the best meetings held all across the country marking maximum attendance of delegates. “All the official and nonofficial events marked the success of the G20 with a huge media presence. The recent two-day conference on administrative reforms also garnered a good response and is a testimony of the fact that we are marching ahead.”
Dr. Singh enlightened the audience that the Diplomate of National Board (DNB) programme took a little longer time to implement in this region but we are marching ahead at a smooth pace even in the times when so much transition is taking place. “We have seen a shift from communication-based healthcare to non-communication-based due to many factors including technological interventions,” Dr. Singh added.
“The technological revolution has paved the way into the healthcare sector and has now an influence on how medical healthcare is imparted to patients. Healthcare may have become more effective and easier but individual contact has been lost”, he further added.
Dr Singh said that India being a heterogeneous country, these facilities of no or less communication have come as a boon as well. “Telemedicine is also changing the scenario in the peripheral areas while citing the example of a remote area of Kathua District.”
Talking about bringing in the human touch as a priority of the government, Dr. Singh spoke about the Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) and how a human touch is induced after every complaint is resolved to give it a human angle.
Dr. Singh underlined the necessity to draw an optimum balance in an age when communication comes at a cost and has developed into a lucrative business. “We all were always taught to communicate well with patients, it was not for the benefit of the patient but also for self-growth and that has to be kept in mind always.”
He applauded the efforts of the Jammu and Kashmir government and NBEMS for their dedication to enhancing healthcare in the region, significantly increasing the number of PG seats and courses available, and allowing citizens to receive high-quality treatment within the UT.
In his closing remarks, Dr. Jitendra Singh reiterated that effective healthcare communication is a non-negotiable aspect of the profession, differentiating excellent healthcare from the rest.
Earlier, Bhupendra Kumar, Secretary of the Department of Health and Medical Education Department spoke and extended gratitude to NBEMS for organising the workshop. He further said that NBEMS has changed the way public services healthcare was perceived in the UT.
After taking learnings from states like Tamilnadu and with guidance from the Union Ministry of Health we managed to fill in the gaps and lacuna. “The outcome has been remarkable on the ground with more access to healthcare, reduced waiting time for surgeries, scaled up patient satisfaction levels in remote areas and reduced referral rate,” Kumar added.
