IMA conference in Kozhikode seeks to strengthen general practitioners - The HinduUpdated - July 19, 2026 09:29 pm IST - KozhikodeA medical conference held here on Sunday (July 19, 2026) called for steps to strengthen the role of general physicians in public health to cut down treatment costs.The conference titled ‘CGPCON 2026’ was organised by the Indian Medical Association’s (IMA) College of General Practitioners, its oldest academic wing headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Around 300 doctors from across South India attended it.Highlighting a trend among a section of people to either ignore their ailments or to directly approach specialist doctors, the organisers said that this has led to high healthcare expenses. Numerous clinics and small hospitals in the country have closed down too. “Vulnerability and fatality from emerging illnesses are very high among those having various co-morbidities. In a set up where the general practitioner system is at the heart of medical care, incidences of and complications from lifestyle diseases will be very less,” Sankar Mahadevan, organising chairman of the conference, said.He said that in all developed nations across the world, attending to primary care from general practitioners at first for any ailment was mandatory. Approaching a general practitioner for prompt evaluation and primary care would always ensure better health outcome, he added. The conference also urged the government to post family physicians in every taluk and district hospitals with immediate effect. Establishing a good referral system in healthcare is also the need of the hour, the organisers said.Around 10 papers on commonly found diseases among the people and the modern treatment methods were presented. It was followed by a panel discussion for family physicians and general practitioners. An emergency training workshop was held for the delegates. Postgraduate medical students also presented their research papers.The event was inaugurated by IMA national vice-president R. Ramesh. IMA’s national, State, and regional functionaries spoke. Oliver Noone, prominent doctor from Kozhikode, was presented with an award in memory of A. Ramanathan, prominent general practitioner from the city.Published - July 19, 2026 07:10 pm ISTSign in to unlock member-only benefits!Access 10 free stories every monthSave stories to read laterAccess to comment on every storySign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single clickGet notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products${ ind + 1 } ${ device }Last active - ${ la }