BS RAWAT
NEW DELHI: The Indian Medical Association (IMA), in association with Indian Psychiatric Society (IPS), has launched  a course titled ‘Competency Development In Depression Management for Doctors.’

The course is designed to provide a basic understanding of depression and its treatment, hence developing competency in effective management of depression. It covers the basic concepts, practices and the translation of knowledge into clinical practice.

Inaugurating the course, Dr Santanu Sen, National President, IMA, said, “It has been estimated that by the year 2020 depression would be the most disabling non-communicable disease in the world. To meet this challenge, we have only about 8000 psychiatrists in India and it is impossible to provide mental health services to a huge number of cases of depression and other psychiatric illnesses.”

He stated, “This leaves a huge treatment gap for which IMA, IMA's AKN Sinha Institute-Patna, and Indian Psychiatric Society have taken up this noble task.”

Dr R.V. Asokan, Secretary General-IMA, said, “With global deficit in the number of psychiatrists or mental health professionals, it becomes prudent to take up the task of sensitizing the physicians to screen, identify and to deal with this population that seems to be having a significant morbidity of depression.”

He spelt out some unique features of the course including a blended learning digital only certificate course of one month duration and ten hours of self paced learning modules. MBBS graduates registered with MCI are eligible to join this course at Rs 1500 course fee per doctor.