AIIMS Rishikesh Marks World Health Day with ‘One Health’ Awareness Program at PHC Raiwala
Health is not a solitary concern — it is a shared responsibility. This was the message at the heart of AIIMS Rishikesh’s World Health Day observance, as expert physicians stepped beyond the hospital walls and into the community, bringing the vision of ‘One Health’ directly to the people at PHC Raiwala.
The two-day program series, organised under the aegis of AIIMS Rishikesh, concluded on Wednesday with a public awareness event at the Primary Health Centre, Raiwala. Patients, caregivers, and local residents were at the centre of the conversation — not merely as an audience, but as the very stakeholders without whose participation the One Health Mission cannot succeed.
Dr. Sunila Garg, representing the National Academy of Medical Sciences (NAMS), Delhi, spoke on the critical importance of Universal Health Coverage, the strengthening of primary healthcare infrastructure, and the role of Ayushman Arogya Mandirs in making quality healthcare truly accessible.
Prof. Vartika Saxena, Head of Community Medicine, reinforced the institute’s commitment to weaving together the health of humans, animals, and the environment — the three pillars of the One Health framework — through active research, outreach, and community-driven strategies.
Adding a spirit of healthy competition to the day, a Demonstration Corner contest for MD residents and MPH students saw Dr. Gurpreet and Dr. Gunjan take the top honours for their Nutrition Corner exhibit. In a heartening recognition of grassroots healthcare work, ANM Anjali Lingwal, ASHA worker Anita Bhatt, and security personnel Mahipal Singh were felicitated — a reminder that health systems are built as much by those on the ground as by those in the clinic.
Present at the event were Dr. Surekha Kishore, Dr. Ranjita Kumari, Dr. Pradeep Agarwal, Dr. Smita Sinha, Dr. Santosh Kumar, Dr. Meenakshi Khapre, Dr. Mahendra Singh, Dr. Ajit S. Bhadauria, along with the department’s SRs and JRs.
