Occupational Health

Introduction

After India’s independence, there was a scarcity of trained manpower in the field of occupational and industrial health. To address this, the Department of Occupational Health was established at the AIIH&PH in 1949 and the DIH (Diploma in Industrial Health) program was launched in the same year.

Since then, AIIH&PH has been continuously supplying well-trained, knowledgeable, and competent medical officers to Indian industries. Today, medical doctors with DIH qualifications from AIIH&PH are doing excellent work in a wide range of industries, including large and small, public and private, coal, cement, mines, oil exploration, paint, ports, airports, mines, nuclear establishments, and railways. Our students obtain excellent jobs in various industries in this country.

The department has trained numbers of medical officers, who have gone on to work in a variety of industries. The department has also conducted research on occupational health hazards and has developed guidelines for preventing these hazards. The department has also played a key role to raise awareness of occupational health issues among employers and workers

Teaching Activities

Regular Courses

Post Graduate Certificate Course in Industrial Health – Associate Fellow of Industrial Health”. (A.F.I.H.),which has been approved by DGHS, to be conducted from the months of August-November. Prospectus to be released soon.

Short Training Programmes Conducted

One day Training program on “Occupational health practice” for qualified Nurses at Ramkrishna Mission Nursing college, Behala on 29^thApril 2023
One-day educational visit to AIIH&PH and Seminar on ILO Radiographs for the AFIH-2023 trainee doctors of Regional Labour Institute Kolkata on 17^thMay 2023
Training programme on “Personal Protective Equipment” for seed processing unit at Purba Bardhaman on 13^th June 2023
Training Programme on “Prevention of Occupational Hazards and Industrial Ergonomics in Aeronautical industry” at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Barrackpore division, for 50 aeronautical engineers and technicians on 05^th September 2023
One day Training Program on “Occupational Safety and First Aid Training” for staffs at Seed Processing Plant at Purba Bardhaman on 12^th September 2023
Three-day Foundation Course on “Occupational Health and Safety” for medical graduates at AIIH&PH, Kolkata (B.N. Campus) from 6^th December 2023 to 8^th December 2023
One Day Training Programme on “Basics of Occupational Health and Safety” for Engineers from RLI, Kolkata was conducted on 5^th January 2024

Other Regular Activities
Faculty of this department is continuously involved in teaching and field training of students of all regular courses conducted by the Institute (viz.- M.D., D.H.P.E., M.P.H., P.G.D.P.H.M., M.V.P., M Sc MCH, M Sc ,H P E, HDip.Diet. and M.Sc.-Applied Nutrition courses)
Faculty members from this department are included in various academic and administrative committees of this Institute.

New Initiatives

Occupational Health Laboratory was rejuvenated and inaugurated on 03.01.2024 by DGHS, Prof. (Dr.)Atul Goel.

Collaboration with UNSW regarding Certificate Course in Occupational Health has been proposed.

Faculty

	Dr. Monalisha Sahu Associate Professor Head of the Department (Acting) from 01/03/2023 MBBS, MD (CM)	E-mail: drmonalisha@outlook.com Mobile No.: +91 9873927966 Area of expertise: Occupational Medicine, Environmental Health, Climate Change.
	Dr. Nandini Bhattacharyya Senior Medical Officer MBBS, DIH	Email:nandini_bhattacharya@yahoo.co.uk Mobile No.: +91 9143036926 Area of expertise: Occupational Health
	Dr. Bismita Nath, General Duty Medical Officer, MBBS	E-mail: nathbismita@gmail.com Mobile No: 91 9123945861 Area of expertise: Occupational Health Illnesses.
	Dr. Ningombam Joenna Devi, Assistant Professor	E-mail:ningjoenna@gmail.com Phone No:9863858093 Area of expertise: Occupational Health.

Other Members

Designation	Number	Activities performed
Stenographer(Ms. Anushree Kundu)	1	Secretarial Assistance
Technician(Mr. Pradip Roy)	1	Lab activities
MTS(Mr. Debjit Sarkar)	1	Support Service

Publications

Measuring Impact of Climate Change on Indigenous Health in the Background of Multiple Disadvantages: A Scoping Review for Equitable Public Health Policy Formulation| Journal of Prevention|MonalishaSahu, Biswadip Chattopadhyay, RanjanDas,Sakshi Chaturvedi
A Critical Take on Sustaining Precautionary Behaviors for COVID-19|Medical Journal of Dr D Y PatilVidyapeeth|MadhumitaDobe, Arista Lahiri Monalisha Sahu, Sweety Suman Jha

A study on risk perception, cognitive awareness and emotional responses to identify unmet training needs of frontline health care workers for COVID-19 containment in India| South Eastern European Journal for public Health|MadhumitaDobe, MonalishaSahu, ChandrashekharTaklikar, Shibani Dutta
Revised socioeconomic status scales for the year 2021|Medical Journal of Dr D Y PatilVidyapeeth|MonalishaSahu, Arpita Das, Biswadip Chattopadhyay, Madhumita Bhattacharyya
The Global One Health Environment A Learning Module edited by 1HOPE-GPA (Governance, Policy, Advocacy)|One Health|MonalishaSahu
The Influence of Electromagnetic Field Pollution on Human Health: A Systematic Review|Siriraj Medical Journal|MonalishaSahu, ShyambhaveeBehera, Biswadip Chattopadhyay
How the Kurnool district in Andhra Pradesh, India, fought Corona| SEEJPH|MadhumitaDobe, MonalishaSahu
Structural Vulnerability and Epidemiology of COVID-19 in India-A Socio-epidemiological Approach for Health Promotion| SEEJPH | Monalisha Sahu, Madhumita Dobe, Kartikey Yadav
How the largest slum in India flattened the COVID curve? A Case Study| SEEJPH | Monalisha Sahu, Madhumita Dobe
Occupational Stress, Job Burnout and Associated Factors in Doctors of Government Hospitals in Delhi, India| Indian Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine|MonalishaSahu
While all Eyes Are Set on Delhi, Kolkata Sitting on Ticking Time Bomb of Air Pollution| Journal of Advanced Research in Medical Science & Technology| Monalisha Sahu
A Process Evaluation on Exploring the Modular Task-Sharing Intervention of Frontline Social Health Activists ‘Sahiya’ for Improving Women’s Health Through Family Planning Counselling Services in Jharkhand, India| Journal of Women’s Health| Monalisha Sahu
Nipah 2.0: The virus reiterates back in Kerala| Indian Journal Of Hygiene & Public Health| Monalisha Sahu

Research Work

Dr. Monalisha Sahu acted as:

PI in Ford Foundation Grant “Solastalgia and Quality of Life in People Residing on the Fringes of Climate Change and Environmental Disruptions in the Sundarbans: A Mixed Method Study”
Co-PI for “Health ageing for indigenous communities in India and Sweden with focus on nutritious and culturally adequate food provision.
Thesis Guide for MD Thesis titled “Assessment of Climate Anxiety and Associated Factors Among Adults Residing in a Riverine Area of Sundarbans, West Bengal”
These Guide for MD Thesis titled “A Study on The Morbidity Profile of Traffic Police Personnel of Kolkata, West Bengal”
Project Guide for Short project titled “Heat Related Illness and Coping mechanisms among Street Vendors working in a Slum area of South Kolkata- A Cross-sectional Community-based Study”
Project Guide for Short Project titled “A Community-based Cross-sectional Study on Heat-Related Illness and Adaptations among Farmworkers in a Rural area of Singur Block, W.B”
Project Guide for Short Project titled “Motivation Among Community Health Officers (CHOs) in South 24 Pargana District in West Bengal: A Cross-Sectional Study”
Project Guide for Short Project titled “Morbidity profile in Seed processing Unit workers”.

Conference/Seminars/Workshop Attended

Dr. Monalisha Sahu:
- 67^th Annual Conference of IPHA 2023 held at Kolkata as Scientific committee member and chair for oral paper session
- HOPECON 2023 held at Kolkata
- Annual review meeting of APHO PHO meet at Tiruchirapalli.
- Orientation Program on application of Digital Solutions & Technology in Healthcare & Research organized by WBUHS
- Webinar on “Impact on clean water in fighting Hygiene and Sanitation, NCDs and Chronic Water Borne Disease”
- Attended the Golden Jubilee Annual Conference of the Indian Association of Preventive and Social Medicine (IAPSM) held from 2nd to 4th February2023 held at NIN Hyderabad
- Attended Annual review meeting of Regional Offices from 23rd to 24th February 2023at AIIH&PH, B.N.Campus, Kolkata
- Attended Annual review meeting of all Point of Entries (POEs) meet at Tiruchirappalli, Tamilnadu.
- Virtually Attended Environment Health Cell Working Group meeting hosted by Min. of Environment, Forests & Climate change
- Annual National Conference of Indian Public Health Association IPHACON (7th to 9th April 2023) in Kolkata
- Annual Conference of Indian Association of Preventive and Social Medicine IAPSMCON West Bengal Chapter (September 8th and 9th, 2023) at IPGME&R and SSKM Hospital
- Annual Conference of Indian Public Health Association IPHACON (West Bengal Chapter) from 5th to 6th August 2023 in Kolkata.
- Attended HOPECON 2023 held at ITC Royal, Kolkata.
- Attended a one-day workshop on National Standards for Civil Service Training Institutions (NSCSTI) organized by Capacity Building Commission (CBC) at SKIPA, Ranchi.
- CME program on Occupational Health by Indian Association of Occupational Health Kolkata
- Virtually Attended National Consultation On “Air Pollution and Health in India – Actions for moving forward on Science, Policy, Programme and Community engagement” Friday, 17 November 2023 All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi
- Attended the Bengal Global Business Summit BGBS 2023 on 22nd November 2023 at the DhonoDhanyo Auditorium, Kolkata.

Examiners

Monalisha Sahu acted as

Examiner for AFIH-2023 Practical Examination at RLI-Kolkata.
Examiner of PGDPHM Exam

Field Activities/Programmes Undertaken

Awareness programme for prevention of occupational hazards in Bidi rolling workers of Sighevery and Rupnarayan Village, Singur, Hooghly on 10th March, 2023.
Awareness programme on Swachh Bharat Mission at Janakalyan Samiti, singur block in collaboration with RHUTC Singur on 10th March, 2023 in collaboration with RHUTC, Singur
Awareness programme on “World Tsunami day” on 03/11/2023 at Raidighi, South 24 Parganas. In collaboration with Dept. of PSM.