RIMS hosts AIAMSWP annual conference
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, February 06 2020: The 7th annual conference of the All India Association of Medical Social Work Professionals (AIAMSWP) - 2020 began today at RIMS Jubilee Hall on the theme "Social Research in Health Care".

The inaugural function of the two-day conference organized by AIAMSWP, North East Zone in collaboration with Community Medicine Department, RIMS & JNIMS was graced by RIMS Director Professor A Santa, JNIMS Director Professor Th Bhimo, RIMS Medical Superintendent Professor Ch Arunkumar, Dr AK Bhogen, AIAMSWP general secretary Dr OP Giri, AIAMSWP, North East Secretary Dr W Ranbir, among others as the chief guest, president and guests of honour respectively.

RIMS hosts AIAMSWP annual conference

In his speech, Professor Santa underscored the importance of medical social work in the health care system.

He said that medical social work plays a pivotal role in the health care system thereby assessing the psycho-social functioning of patients and families.

Dr Santa said that medical social work professionals are the ones who connect the patients and family to the necessary resource and support in the community such as preventive care, providing psycho therapy, supportive counselling and helping patients to expand and strengthen their network of social support.

"A medical social worker plays a great role in restoring balance in an individual's personal, family and social life in order to help that person maintain or recover his/her health or strengthen the ability to adapt and reintegrate into society", he added.

While highlighting the genesis of public health and social work, the Director went on to point out that an American missionary started a formal training work in social work in India in 1936 and later increased its scope.

He observed that more efforts should be made to enhance education, practice and research which involve the social workers' potential and their contribution to improve health care.

Saying that health care system needs renewing its focus on addressing the social determinant of health to improve the population health, Shanta maintained that social work has already proven its ability in achieving this goal.