Vaccine Preventable Diseases Surveillance (VPDS) Workshop at BGS Medical College and Hospital, Nagaruru
BGS Medical College and Hospital successfully hosted a comprehensive workshop on Vaccine Preventable Diseases Surveillance on June 30, 2026, at the Medical Education Unit Hall. Organized by the Department of Paediatrics and the Department of Community Medicine in collaboration with the World Health Organization and the District Health Authorities of the Government of Karnataka, the event aimed to bolster institutional surveillance frameworks and update healthcare professionals on global immunization strategies. The workshop commenced with a formal welcome by Dr. Raghuram V, Head of the Department of Community Medicine, who emphasized the necessity of vigilant monitoring to sustain the gains made in disease prevention across the nation.
The inaugural session was graced by Dr. V. R. Krishnamurthy, Chief of Hospital, who underscored the institution’s commitment to public health excellence and its ongoing partnership with international health bodies. Following these introductory remarks, Dr. Ramesh, Head of the Department of Paediatrics, formally welcomed the distinguished resource persons from the World Health Organization National Polio Surveillance Network, highlighting their essential role in guiding national health policy and implementation.
The technical program featured expert-led sessions designed to provide deep insights into current health challenges. Dr. Mishba Hani, Surveillance Medical Officer for the WHO, led the first session focusing on Measles-Rubella elimination and DPT surveillance. Her presentation detailed the evolution of global strategies, standard case definitions, and the critical nature of precise laboratory specimen collection. The second session, conducted by Dr. Nagaraja N. T., focused on the global status of Polio and the imperative of maintaining high-quality Acute Flaccid Paralysis surveillance to safeguard India’s polio-free status. These sessions provided faculty, postgraduate students, and interns with the necessary tools to navigate complex reporting mechanisms and outbreak investigations.
The workshop concluded with an interactive plenary session moderated by Dr. Anu Mohandas, which allowed participants to discuss operational challenges and share best practices in the field of disease notification. Dr. Mamatha Padmanabhachar from the Department of Paediatrics delivered the vote of thanks, expressing professional gratitude to the leadership of Adichunchanagiri University and the international experts for their contribution to the program. The successful execution of this workshop reaffirms the role of BGS Medical College and Hospital as a leader in medical education and its dedication to the Government of India’s vision of a robust, integrated public health surveillance system.
