KGMU gets country’s first cough clinic; 150 doctors receive training
The initiative is part of a scientific and academic campaign, aiming to establish 10 cough centres of excellence (CoE) nationwide and train over 1,000 doctors within a year
The King George’s Medical University’s (KGMU) respiratory medicine department has launched an innovative initiative for patients with persistent cough. It’s the country’s first cough clinic, launched in collaboration with the Association of Physicians of India (API).
MBBS doctors will mandatorily need to attend training sessions which commenced on Monday, said KK Singh, media cell in-charge, KGMU. He further said the cough clinic aims to equip doctors with a simple and scientific approach to evaluating and treating cough. Doctors will receive case-based training, focusing on identifying cough, diagnosing it based on its sound, and treating it according to symptoms.
The initiative is part of a scientific and academic campaign, aiming to establish 10 cough centres of excellence (CoE) nationwide and train over 1,000 doctors within a year. On Monday, 150 doctors from Lucknow and surrounding areas were trained under the cough clinic programme, he said.
He advised patients with coughs to take steam if cough persists for a week and consult a doctor if it lasts for two weeks, as it could be due to TB.
The controversy surrounding cough syrups, particularly for children, has necessitated caution when prescribing for adults. The cough clinic will provide detailed guidance on cough syrups, including which patients should or shouldn’t take them and how to determine the dosage, said Dr Singh.
