Community Medicine

Community Medicine department is housed in this block which is one of the oldest structures built in the year 12.01.1976

The department functions with a mission of empowering medical students with attitudes and skills to reach everyone, including the unreached, with health care that is managed efficiently.

Towards achieving this goal the department is involved in the training of following batches

	I MBBS -Theory 30 hours, Field visit 30 hours
	II MBBS -Theory 56 hours, Practicals 144 hours
	III MBBS -Theory 52 hrs, Practicals72 hrs
	CRRI for internship – 2 months
	DMLT students - Theory & Practicals
	Nursing Assistants - (Male & Female) - Theory 30 hrs

The students are trained in the following topics through lectures tutorials, seminars, demonstrations and practical field activities.

Disease Control

Natural history, Medical care, Prevention and Rehabilitation of diseases of Public health importance are given extra attention. Disease surveillance is explained with respect to standardized case definition, ensuring completeness of coverage and reliability of data, transmission and transformation of data. An overview of international health is also given.

Biostatistics

Since health information from the community is studied in large numbers, training in biostatistics, epidemiology and evaluation techniques is done as tutorial and practicals.

Behavioural change communication is an essential component for ensuring health of the community. Students are given hands – on experience in communication skills by participating in health communication sessions in the community.

Health care system is elaborated with field visits arranged to the various health care institute primary health centres, health sub centre, urban health posts, communicable disease hospital etc.

Management skills : This is the only department which offers training in management skills that is very essential for achievement of objectives through efficient use of men, money and materials.

The Department has the following three Primary health centers- Nandhivaram, Kelammbakkam, Porur, attached to it. Padi urban health post has been adopted under National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) programme. Baseline survey has been conducted. Speciality clinics, managed by specialists from Kilpauk Medical College are organized since November -2009. Screening for Cancer Cervix is done using VIA technique by trained staff of the health post.

	Training needs regarding diabetic care at primary care level among CRRI is an ongoing study with the active participation of the II MBBS of students.
	Health education session at Padi Health post followed by case finding for Hypertension.
	Risk factors for Pregnancy induced hypertension – a community based study from a village in Porur.
	Study on Constraints of Biomedical waste Management in KMCH
	Study on Drug asequacy at Urban Health Centre Padi.

It sensitizes the student to realize they are a part of a large whole, the society they live in - its functioning directed both at uplifting its wellbeing and detrimental to its own good. This broad picture helps them metamorphosis into a public health officer, administrator, Analyst of problems and Specialist in Health Advocacy.