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Visit of Dr Samlee
Plianbangchang, Regional Director, WHO-South East
Asia Region, to Kolkata, West Bengal, on 5-7
October 2006.
Dr Samlee Plianbangchang, Regional
Director (RD), WHO-South East Asia Region, visited Kolkata,
West Bengal, on 5-7 October 2006, as an
official State Guest of the Government of West Bengal. The purpose of his visit was to initiate an
assessment of the situation of Public Health practice, training and research,
examine the ways forward for technical collaboration between WHO and the All India Institute of Hygiene and
Public Health (AIIHPH) and promote new public health approaches, beyond the
Calcutta Declaration.
Dr Plianbangchang was accompanied by Dr S. J. Habayeb, WHO Representative to India; Dr T E Mertens, Special Representative to RD on Public Health
Initiative; and Dr A Kama, Administrative Officer to RD.
RD met the Honourable Chief Minister of West
Bengal, Mr Buddhadeb Bhatacharya, who applauded the close collaboration with
WHO.
The team
met Mr Surjya Kanta Mishra, Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Government
of West Bengal; the Director and Dean, Professor Indira
Chakravarty; and all senior professors and heads of
Departments in the main campus of the Institute, in which a presentation was
made by the Director on the present situation of AIIHPH. RD stressed that, while the spirit of the
Calcutta Declaration was totally relevant to today’s problems, it may be
adapted in order to move forward. He
also emphasized the major role that AIIHPH can play in increasing outreach
activities and in addressing human resource issues by training Community
Health Workers and by training such workforce to problem-solving approaches
and managing new situations.
The team
visited the AIIHPH library, where around 28,000 books are stored, and WHO
experts will revisit on a subsequent trip to discuss options for improving
library services and information management.
A meeting was also held with the representatives of multi-sectoral
public health associations, including Indian Public Health Association,
Indian Association of Preventive and Social Medicine, and Indian Association
of Public Health Engineers, in which it was noted that a consortium
could be created to enhance influence on public policy and consumer protection.
RD planted a tree at the second campus of AIIHPH, which is
under construction.
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