Bhubaneswar: The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bhubaneswar, in collaboration with the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India, successfully concluded the 2nd National Conclave on Travel Health Clinics (THCs) on Friday.
The two-day national event served as a key platform to deliberate on strengthening India’s Travel Health infrastructure and integrating it with the country’s mainstream public health system. Representatives from various ministries — including Health, External Affairs, and Defence — participated, alongside experts from 16 AIIMS institutions and several State Medical Colleges.
Inaugurating the conclave, AIIMS Bhubaneswar Executive Director and CEO Dr. Ashutosh Biswas underlined the importance of establishing a network of Travel Health Clinics across India through inter-ministerial coordination. He proposed adopting a hub-and-spoke model, with AIIMS Bhubaneswar functioning as a central hub to provide guidance, training, and operational support to THCs nationwide.
Dr. S. Senthilnathan, DDG (PH–IH), DGHS, discussed the feasibility of in-travel medical care, noting that even in the absence of onboard doctors, trained personnel could manage basic health emergencies effectively. Dr. Vikas Bhatia, Head of Community Medicine and Family Medicine at AIIMS Bhubaneswar, emphasized the need for structured training programs and capacity building in travel medicine, vaccination, infectious disease prevention, and emergency care.
The conclave saw participation from several distinguished dignitaries, including Dr. Madhabananda Kar (AIIMS Darbhanga), Dr. Sachidananda Mohanty (AIIMS Avantipora), Dr. Sanjay K. Rai (AIIMS Delhi), Commander Kaushik Roy (Ministry of Defence), Dr. Ramya P. (Director General, Shipping), and Dr. Meera Dhuria (NCDC), among others. Expert sessions, panel discussions, and live demonstrations reinforced the need for a robust, policy-driven, and research-based framework for Travel Health in India.
It is noteworthy that the Department of Community and Family Medicine at AIIMS Bhubaneswar had established Odisha’s first Travel Health Clinic in 2023, one of the few such facilities in the country.
