Recently, we encountered an excellent editorial titled “The ‘Vaidya’—The Ancient Indian Family Physician: The Origin of Family Medicine Specialty in India—A Call for Action by the National Medical Commission (NMC)” in your esteemed journal.[1] The author thoroughly explains the plight of family physicians and the family medicine specialty in the current Indian scenario. The historical relevance of family physicians and their role in the current healthcare hierarchy in urban and rural settings are undeniable yet underappreciated.
One of the important messages the author stated caught our attention: the paradoxical situation where Indian medical education undermines the rich tradition of family physicians. The core competencies of the specialty are in line with the needs of the Indian population, especially in rural and semiurban areas where there is a deficiency of specialists.
“Prevention is better than cure” is a well-known fact. Family medicine postgraduates are specialized in providing medical care from birth until death, to put it simply. They specialize in preventive, promotive, and curative aspects of diseases as well. Hence, in this era where lifestyle diseases are on the rise even in rural areas, interventions and services by family physicians can be used to provide early intervention and periodic follow-ups, preventing progression to complications and reducing the workload for specialists.
According to articles by the World Health Organization (WHO), the role of family physicians or primary care physicians is foundational toward the goal of universal health coverage.[2] Similarly, in the Indian setting, it is found that family medicine can act as a potential stakeholder in strengthening primary care, improving health outcomes, reducing the cost of healthcare, and enhancing patient satisfaction.[3,4]
Recent curriculum changes implemented by the National Medical Commission (NMC) included a family adoption program for MBBS graduates from the first year to the final year, which could be considered a step toward bringing back the glorious history of family physicians in India.[5]
Finally, we hope that the discussion started by the author reaches the experts in the field and ignites discussions for changes in the medical education system in India.
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References
- 1.Kumar R. The ‘Vaidya’ –The Ancient Indian Family Physician: The origin of family medicine specialty in India –A call for action by the National Medical Commission (NMC) J Family Med Prim Care. 2024;13:397–400. doi: 10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_266_24. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 2.World Health Organization. Primary Health Care. World Health Organization. 2022. [[Last accessed on 2024 Mar 03]]. Available from: https://www.who.int/health-topics/primary-health-care#tab=tab_1 .
- 3.Gupta A, Prasad R, Abraham S, Nedungalaparambil NM, Landes M, Steele Gray C, et al. Pioneering family physicians and the mechanisms for strengthening primary health care in India—A qualitative descriptive study. PLOS Glob Public Health. 2023;3:e0001972. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0001972. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 4.Sparkes SP, Atun R, B?rnighausen T. The impact of the Family Medicine Model on patient satisfaction in Turkey: Panel analysis with province fixed effects. PLoS One. 2019;14:e0210563. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0210563. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 5.Undergraduate Medical Education Board, National Medical Commission Guidelines. [[Last accessed on 2024 Mar 20]]. Available from: https://www.nmc.org.in/MCIRest/open/getDocument?path=/Documents/Public/Portal/LatestNews/Implementation.pdf .