Wording of the MOU can be seen here.

 

What is the structure of PRIME Project of HSA?
PRIME Project has approved by HSA board in May 2010. The steering committee/ officers are  Carolyn Russell (trainer), Michael Burke (project officer) and Owen Lewis (coordinator). Carolyn will use her experience and talents to train the trainers in PRIME concepts and methods. Michael, as Project Officer of HSA will guide the organisational development and wear a hat for possible future trips to Africa. Owen will coordinate the mailing list, newsletter and recruitment of volunteer teachers as well as wearing the India hat. One or two other people on our list will be invited onto the steering committee that will function by Skype and email connection. 

What are the criteria for tutors?
Potential teachers may have heard about PRIME Project of HSA through various channels including subscription to newsletters through the HSA web site. Would be visiting teachers will apply indicating their skills and availability. They will submit their CV and supply names of 2 referees - one professional and one church related. The process for selection will be based on that use by PRIME Int. Preference will be given to those with teaching experience and developing country experience, but many candidates may not have both. Two PRIME Project of HSA persons and one PRIME Int. person will review applications. Teachers will understand that HealthServe Australia is a Christian organisation but will not be required to sign the faith declaration, as do those who choose to become members of HSA. During the trips of PRIME Project of HSA, many of the visiting teachers will engage local participants and teachers in conversation about the spiritual aspects of health, but this is not a requirement. 

What is happening about the trips to India?
The opportunity to assist the Christian Medical College Vellore Department of Distance Education continues to be a solid invitation. The idea is that GPs ideally with experience working in developing countries and also teaching experience, will be recruited to act as 'external coordinators' of 'contact programs'. In the 2 year PGDFM distance course there are 3x two week blocks when trainees go to regional centres for the contact programs. The Indian government National Rural Health Mission is going to pay for the training of government doctors in 8 poorer states. Dr Vinod Shah, the architect of the PGDFM has now visited the health secretaries in those states and given them a deadline of the end of October to complete formalities. If that process is successful the government PGDFM program will start in January 2010, which means the first contact program will take place in March 2010.

Recruitment and selection for Indian contact programs
Owen Lewis will lead the team. PRIME Project of HSA requests that potential visiting teachers submit their CV with 2 referees. Many of you have done this already. The applications will be reviewed by 2 PPHSA and 1 PRIME (UK) person. We will know the dates of the three contact programs for the batch of trainees. It would be ideal if visiting teachers can commit to three trips so that there is continuity, but this is not essential. 

Team arrangements for trips to India
Once the team has been formed, checklists for finance, travel arrangements and other preparations will be distributed. It is envisaged that team members will raise their own finance for the trip and arrange round figure donations to HSA to obtain tax deduction if needed. Team members will book their own tickets, liaising with HSA.  CMC Vellore will give a daily allowance for International Consultants that makes a significant contribution to the costs involved.  If visiting teachers go in pairs the daily allowance for one person is shared.  The idea of going in pairs would make cross-cultural new experience, a bit easier but the tasks of external coordinator can be done by one person. A lot depends on the capabilities of the local coordinator - a doctor of the hospital where the regional training is to take place.  Team members will most likely be from different Australian states and possibly from UK, so we will not meet together until we arrive in Vellore (or possibly Delhi) for a two day orientation program. We will then disperse to the eight contact program sites in the different Indian states. 

Contact Programs of the PGDFM course
In the current open seat PGDFM course, contact programs have been going on for the past three years, with CMC Vellore staff and a few others in the external coordinator role. So there is already a pattern. Morning sessions are locally arranged whereas afternoons are video linked across India. The morning program is finalised by the local and external coordinators via email. The local coordinator arranges local specialists to teach in the morning programs. Many will choose to give didactic PowerPoint presentations but these should not duplicate afternoon topics. The challenge for coordinators is to promote interactive educational methods - e.g. cased based (clinic, wards) balanced with skill oriented sessions. While there has been significant freedom and variation of content and style in the morning sessions, it is recognised that visiting teachers may need a more defined role, more structure and more in the way of pre-prepared materials. When I was external coordinator in Chennai my local counterpart had arranged a very busy program involving local consultants, where as in Calcutta, Bruce Hayes found himself doing most of the teaching. I will place sample programs on the HSA web site. In the coming six months we will firm up the expectations so that external coordinators can go to India with adequate preparation.