RAJAMAHENDRAVARAM: As many as 150 students of the Rajamahendravaram Government Medical College have adopted 750 families in the city as part of the National Medical Commission’s Family Adoption Programme (FAP) to monitor their health and give advice to them accordingly.
Elaborating on the initiative, FAP nodal officer and assistant professor Dr P Manoj told TNIE that the programme, which has to be implemented for students of the first three years, aims at ensuring enhanced healthcare services in rural areas.
As part of FAP, first year medical students are required to adopt five families each, make nine visits and spend 27 hours a year with them. Second year students have to spend 30 hours in six visits, while third year medicos have to visit their adopted families five times a year and spend 21 hours.
A total of 78 hours should be spent by students during their 20 visits in three years.Dr Manoj said the programme will help groom MBBS students so they can become leaders in community healthcare.
“The students have been instructed to visit the adopted families on Fridays. They should collect demographic profile history of the allocated family members, conduct clinical examination, organise health check ups, coordinate with their mentor to decide on treatment plan, maintain communication and follow up on remedial measures,” Dr Manoj explained.
The medicos are required to submit a report on improvement of general health, immunisation, sanitation, de-addiction, improvement in anaemia, tuberculosis control, sanitation awareness, and other issues to the college.
College principal Dr B Sowbhagya Lakshmi told this newspaper that the students have been allotted Annamachari Road, Durga Nagar, and Vambay Colony to monitor the health condition of 750 families.
She explained that the 150 first year students will be guided by a professor during their visits. She added that health workers may also be involved in the programme to assist the medicos.