The Department of Community & Family Medicine administers several units and centers, which contribute to the academic programme while providing services to the community.
Field Project Area
In 1980, the Kokuvil-Kondavil Community Health Project (KKCHP) was selected as the field area for the Faculty of Medicine, University of Jaffna. This was approved by the Director General of Health Service (as per letter No: PC/14/80 dated 25 June 1980). The Kokuvil-Kondavil area is partly peri-urban and partly rural and represents the diversity and mix of socio-economic and health problems prevailing in the country. The Field Project Area was extended to include an entire Medical Officer of Health area in 2010 (MOH Area Nallur).
Primary objectives of the Field Project Area:
- To function as a field training/experimental area for medical undergraduates, post graduate students and paramedical students;
- To serve as a channel for dissemination of health information and education to the general public.
The Field Project Area is a joint venture of the University of Jaffna and the Ministry of Health. In addition to contributing toward teaching and community service programmes, it serves for experimentation in health care and research. It is located in close proximity to the Faculty of Medicine and is easily accessible to students.
At present the administration of the Field Project Area is under the Medical Officer of Health, Nallur. The Head of the Department of Community & Family Medicine has the approval of the Director-General of Health Services (DGHS) to experiment on health services methods and organization. It has been proposed that at a later date the administration of the area will be taken over by the Department of Community & Family Medicine, at which time the Head of the Department would function as the MOH of the Field Project Area.
Family Health Centre
The Department of Community & Family Medicine pioneered a new model of Primary Health Care by introducing a Family Health Centre to the Divisional Hospital (DH), Kondavil in 2012. It was launched with support from University of Jaffna and the Provincial Ministry of Health, Northern Province.
The Family Health Centre was set up to fulfill two primary objectives:
- To provide high quality primary health care services to residents of the area; and
- To offer an innovative model of primary health care training for medical students.
An academic member of staff coordinates the services offered through the Family health Centre. The majority of patients attending the clinics have chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, stroke, cancer and chronic respiratory disease. In addition, the Centre offers support for social, emotional, financial and spiritual issues associated with these diseases.
COPC Book – 2
Affiliated Learning Centers
Government institutions:
- Anti-Malaria Campaign, Jaffna
- Base Hospital, Chavakachcheri
- Chest Clinic, Jaffna
- Divisional Hospital, Kondavil
- Divisional Hospital, Chankanai
- Divisional Secretariat, Nallur
- MOH Office, Nallur
- Office of RDHS Jaffna
- Teaching Hospital, Jaffna
- State home for the elders, Kaithady
- National Water Supply and Drainage Board
Non – government institutions:
- Association for Rehabilitation of Disabled [AROD]
- Cancer Aid for North/ East [CANE]
- Jaffna Jaipur Centre for Disability Rehabilitation [JJCDR]
- Nuffield School for Deaf & Blind
- Sivapoomi School for Mentally Handicapped
- Sivapoomi Elders Home
- Shanthigam
