KOCHI: The ‘Physician Assistant Week’ celebration was inaugurated at the Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences (AIMS) by medical director Dr Prem Nair.
“AIMS is the only medical school in India to have a physician assistant programme. It is also the only institution in India that offers graduate, postgraduate and PhD programmes under one roof,” Dr Prem Nair said. Physician assistants are healthcare professionals authorised to work under a doctor’s supervision, and provide medical care in a delegated role. The Physician Assistant Week is celebrated to recognise this profession. The world’s first physician assistant was graduated on October 6, 1967, from the Duke University, USA. To commemorate this, we celebrate the Physician Assistant Day on October 6, and the Physician Assistant Week from October 6 to 12, every year.
The keynote address was delivered by Dr K U Natarajan, who heads the adult cardiology department at the AIMS. In his speech, Dr Natarajan stressed the importance of preventive healthcare as over 50 per cent of the country’s population still live in the rural areas, who cannot afford the high treatment costs. Therefore, the services of physician assistants can be utilised to improve public health.
Amrita School of Medicine principal Dr Prathapan Nair and Allied Health Sciences chief programme administrator M V Thampi delivered the felicitations.