Orientation Training of Obstetrics & Gynecology Experts for Adopting Health Promotion Approach

By 121 News Reporter

Chandigarh 28^th March:-- The Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, PGIMER, Chandigarh  organised a ICMR sponsored Seminar  entitled “Orientation Training of Obstetrics & Gynecology Experts for Adopting Health Promotion Approach in a Teaching Hospital for Reducing Patient Load in OPDs”. Inaugural Address was delivered by Dr. L.K.Dhaliwal, HOD, Gynae & Obst., PGIMER .She emphasized upon the benefits of adopting this appraoch in OBG OPD. The aim of this seminar was to propagate the idea of adopting a health promoting hospital approach in Obstetrics & Gynecology (OBG) OPDs by reorienting OBG experts (faculty and resident doctors) on this issue.

 Dr. Amarjeet Singh, Professor, Community Medicine, PGIMER shared the  experiences of the DBT Project on this topic.He also chalked out the future plans in this context.. He elaborated upon the fact that much of the time of specialist doctors is wasted in attending to the routine problems of patients since usually Gynae OPDs are overcrowded in India.  Adopting a health promoting hospital approach can be useful in resolving this issue. Appropriate counseling, including behavior therapy, exercises can easily provide relief to women with with Dysmenorrhea, Urinary Incontinence, Uterine Prolapse ( grade I,II and early III), Menopause or Infertility without using any medicine or surgery. Dr Singh also showed  a video film on Kegel exercise and lifestyle modification. The CD will be used for training patients in MPBT room through laptop/multimedia.Dr Jaswinder Kalra and Dr Vanita Suri discussed the potential of including counselling services in MPBT room for  families reporting with genetic / chromosomal disorders and  for patients diagnosed with / treated for gynecological cancer.

 Dr. Avinash Kaur Rana, Lecturer, NINE, PGIMER told about advantages of adopting health promotion approach to handle routine pregnancy patients attending GOPD in apex institutions. She also exposed the audience to a sample of educational video developed by her for maternity preparedness.Dr Rashmi Kashyap gave feedback from her MD thesis  on “evidence base for conservative management of urinary Incontinence and early stages of pelvic organ prolapse”. Lt. Col.Dr Puja Dudeja organized a short quiz for the audience. It received an enthusiastic response from doctors. Prizes were also given for correct answers.Dr Santosh Kumari was felicitated on this occasion with a memnto by Dr LK Dhaliwal.

 Earlier, a PhD thesis done in PGIMER, Chandigarh in 2005 proved the efficacy of kegal exercises in providing relief to urinary incontinence case. Based on this idea, a DBT project on “Hospital Based Behaviour Therapy of Urinary Incontinence Among Women: A Feasibility Study” was successfully completed during 2010- 2012 (of ~ 360 women registered, 67% reported relief). An expanded version of this project i.e. “Setting up of a multi-purpose behaviour therapy room” sanctioned by DBT is being run in OBG OPD since November 2012.  Feedback from the patients as well as the doctors reflected that the newly established  MPBT room was successful in relieving the crowd in OBG OPD. Patients were also satisfied by discussing their problems at length with the counsellors.A Mutipurpose Behavior Therapy Room  has been set up   in  Gynecology OPD of PGIMER,Chandigarh. Patients are being regularly referrred from the main OPD to this room.So far,  the response of the patients , their caregivers as well as the doctors in OBG OPD has been very good. The project staff is providing counselling to women having problems related to antenatal & postnatal  period (dietary advice/exercise/preparation for self care during pregnancy & baby care after delivery including breast feeding/family planning/ other precautions etc), behavior therapy/exercise /counseling for -- urinary incontinence  & uterine prolapse cases , dysmenorrhea cases, infertility cases, menopausal  women.  All patients are given a booklet/handouts on relevant management aspects of their problem (published by the investigators in Hindi/English/Panjabi ). IEC material is also displayed in the room. Demonstrations of requisite exercises are also held. Male or female escorts of the women are also  invited for counseling.Most of the women( More than 1300 ) have reported improvement in their health status through the  intervention provided by the project team.