Gujarat Health dept signs Knowledge Sharing MOUs with 52 institutions

The Gujarat state Health and Family Welfare Department has signed Knowledge Sharing MOUs with as many as 52 International and National institutions, recently. 9 other organizations have expressed their willingness to sign MOUs with the Government of Gujarat. These MOUs will be recognized and MoU partners would be felicitated in the Human Development Index Seminar on 10 January, 2011 at Pandit Dindayal Petroleum University, Gandhinagar. Health and Family Welfare Minister of Gujarat, Shri Jay Narayan Vyas will chair the session that would discuss the health, medical services and medical education scenario that has emerged in the last decade.

The state Health and Family Welfare Department has decided to tie up with the most renowned and efficient national and international institutes and NGOs for Knowledge sharing in the health care sector. These institutes and NGOs will share their knowledge and expertise through the Gujarat based medical, dental, nursing and physiotherapy colleges in the field of performance of Research Studies and Recommendations; Skill development and Research; Clinical Rotation for Ophthalmology at M&J Institute, Exchange program by Institutes for faculty members; Skill Development and Faculty Exchange, Ward Boy Training Program, Strengthening and Enriching Awareness Program for AIDS. These institutes will also facilitate by providing and sharing their knowledge through Virtual Classes for students and faculty of Department of Radio Diagnosis, Provision for Academic and Professional training services, Knowledge sharing and technical assistance for developing SCD screening center and satellite center.

The International Knowledge partners who have already signed the knowledge sharing MOU as a part of 5th Vibrant Gujarat Summit with Health and Family Department and various training institutes in the state are Smile Train Inc. USA,which is the world’s largest global charity committed to safe and quality treatment of cleft lip and palate accessible totally free of cost to the millions of children in developing countries who cannot afford it. Euro Skin Bank (ESB) established in 1976 is a division of the Euro Tissue Bank (ETB) and is a non-profit, non-governmental organization. The Euro Skin Bank maintains an allograft skin bank and supports research in burn treatment. This association will be first of its kind in the state of Gujarat. Euro Skin Bank will provide technical training and support to the Department of Burns and Plastics at BJ Medical College which will go a long way in benefitting the Burns patients, in terms of providing the skin donated by people. The skin will be stored and processed and made available for use in severe burn patients.

Handicap International, Otto Bock Healthcare Pvt. Ltd Handcare Foundation-New Delhi, Bhagwan Mahavir Viklang Sahayata Samiti- Jaipur, Handcare Foundation- New Delhi, Ishwar Institute of Prosthetics & Orthotics- Delhi, Proactive Technical Orthopedics- Pune are some of the well known international and national organizations working in the field of rehabilitation and manufacturing of artificial limbs etc. These institutes have tied up with Physiotherapy College and Government Spine Institute at Civil Hospital Ahmedabad for identifying the disability at early stage and provide preventive as well as rehabilitative services to the patients. Also, the students would be visiting the workshops and manufacturing units.

EMORY School of Medicine- USA has shown a keen interest and has tied up for clinical rotation of ophthalmology of their institute at M& J institute of Ophthalmology. Society for Oral Laser Applications and Prudent Academy have tied up with the Government Dental College, Ahmadabad for the development of Laser Application and Implantology department. The George Washington University, University of South Florida, University of Utah, State University of New York, Dutch School of Gynecology, Oncology and Pelvic Surgery- Netherlands., University of New Mexico, Department of Epidemiology and Bio statistics, University Hospitals of Leicester, the Inclen Trust International, Philadelphia, Sickle Cell Disease International Organization are other names of global repute who have tied up with Medical Colleges at Bhavnagar, Vadodara, Surat , Rajkot and Jamnagar so as to work together in various fields for the departmental development and conducting joint research studies to enrich and strengthen the medical education and healthcare set up of the state.

Karolinska Institute- Sweden; University of Aberdeen; Natural Resources Defence Council- New York USA; Columbia University; Mailman School of Public Health are amongst few who have confirmed knowledge sharing with Gujarat Government.

The MOUs have also been signed by the department with National Institutes namely Sher-I-Khan Institute of Medical Sciences- Srinagar, Opthalomology Department- Banaras Hindu University, Baroda Charitable Education Fund, Institute of Kidney Disease and Research Centre, Ahmedabad, Madras ENT Research Foundation- Chennai.

AYUSH department of the state Government in the past years has also signed MOUs with 7 institutes with a purpose to work for the promotion and popularization of Ayurveda in its original form so that better healthcare System can be developed. The MOUs have been signed for knowledge sharing by Gujarat Ayurvedic University, Jamnagar signed with the Institute of Traditional Orient Medicine- Japan, Prema Ayurveda Trust of Health- Argentina, Mahindra Institute- European Academy of Ayurveda- Germany, Natura Farm- Germany , European Institute for Scientific Research- Netherlands, Reidmann International College- Isarel, International Ayurveda Foundation and Jeonju University, South Korea too.
Panel Discussion on Human Development Index and Focus on Health Parameters on 10 Jan, 2011

A Panel to discuss Human Development Index and Focus on Health Parameters on 10 Jan, 2011, at Pandit Dindayal Petroleum University: Hon. Health and Family Welfare Minister Shri Jay Narayan Vyas to chair the panel discussion.

A special panel discussion in the series of Knowledge-sharing programs as a part of the Vibrant Gujarat 2011, to discuss Human Development Index and Focus on Health Parameters will be held on 10 Jan, 2011 at Pandit Dindayal Petroleum University, Gandhinagar. The Health and Family Welfare Minister of Gujarat, Shri Jay Narayan Vyas will chair the session that would discuss the health, medical services and medical education scenario that has emerged in the last decade. Hon’ble Minister of State Shri Parbatbhai Patel will also grace the occasion with his presence. Other speakers for the Seminar are Dr Ravindra Dholakia, Ms. Yashashree Gurjar, Dr. M R Girinath, Shri B. Suryanarayanan.

The panel discussion headed by Minister Health and Family Welfare will discuss the issues related to Human Development Index and focus on Health Parameters like; Strategies for improvement of overall Public Health, Strategies for improving Longevity-an important HDI parameter, Role of local authorities and capacity building, Expansion of medical services in other fields through PPP Model. The agenda of the discussion are Introduction to HDI & Inclusive Growth, Background on India’s position, factors fueling low Life Expectancy, Successful National Imperatives and Key Concerns for the discussion.

Chief Minister Shri Narendra Modi has launched a campaign on war-footing to upgrade the HDI ranking by creating various world class health and medical facilities in the state. Gujarat aims at higher expectancy of life, creating more adult literacy and growing GDP in the state. India’s low HDI ranking is owing mainly to low ranking in core area like life expectancy which is estimated at 63.4 years. The human development index trends show that between 1980 and 2007, India’s HDI rose by 1.33% annually from 0.427 to 0.612 by 2007.

India has the largest number of births (27 million), maternal deaths (estimated at about 117,100), and neonatal deaths (1,098,000) per year as per studies conducted in 2005. As per some estimates, MMR has gone down from about 700 to about 254 over last 40 years. While the national average of MMR is 254, state like Gujarat could considerably bring down this ratio to 160.

Gujarat has initiated many special drives in this field like Chiranjeevi Yojana, Balsakha Yojna, Mamta Day program, E-Mamata, Emergency Response Services – GVK EMRI (108), School Health Check-up programs, Nirogi Bal Yogjna etc.