Dinesh Kamath's news 'Indian Medical Association trains around 150 doctors to raise awareness about Vitamin D deficiency' that was published in Newsband

Indian Medical Association trains around 150 doctors to raise awareness about Vitamin D deficiency

By Dinesh Kamath

Vitamin D deficiency is slowly taking the form of a ‘silent epidemic’ in India. Given the urgency to address this issue as one of National concern, the Indian Medical Association organized a CME in Mumbai to discuss the various health threats faced by the Indian population due to Vitamin D deficiency. Lately, various research have shown that besides the known skeletal effects of Vitamin D deficiency, it can also have serious long-term impact on a person's health making them vulnerable to heart attacks, cognitive disorders, diabetes, and cancer. The CME was an initiative under IMA's new Rise and Shine campaign and was attended by over 150 leading doctors in the city.

The IMA Rise and Shine campaign is a National movement initiated by the Indian Medical Association under an unconditional educational grant from leading pharmaceutical company USV. It aims at sensitizing its 2.5 lakh members across 128 cities and 1500 branches over the next two years about the need to raise awareness of Vitamin D deficiency. The campaign also provides soft skills training to doctors on essential topics. There include public speaking, managing patient records online, adapting to the new mobile app culture and how to break the news of a patient's death to their family.

The IMA Rise and Shine campaign in addition to conducting CME’s and soft skill training workshops across 128 cities also comprises of a National daily SMS campaign for doctors, awareness through an active Facebook page, regular State and National Body meetings and public sensitization events.