The Government Medical College, Srinagar was established in 1959. It is the first and oldest Medical College in Kashmir. The Department of Community Medicine (Social and Preventive Medicine) was established in the same year with Dr. E. Anantha Rao as the first Head of Department (1959-1960). Looking back, department is being headed by seven HOD’s before the charge was taken by the present Head of Department Dr. S. Muhammad Salim Khan on 1st May 2014. The Department is actively involved in MBBS, MD and para-medical teaching and training programmes.
It has one health block in Srinagar, Block Hazratbal as its urban health block catering over 1.6 lac population comprising urban, rural and tribal sub-sets, with full-fledged administrative and financial control and have one SDH Hospital, 4 UPHCs and 12 HWCs. The rural health training centre at PHC Khag, district Budgam also has Model Rural Health Research Unit (MRHRU), the only centre in J&K sanctioned by Department of Health Research, MOHFW, Government of India in addition to CPHC Innovation & Learning Centre (CPHC-ILC) which is among few centres in the country. The Department of Community Medicine also publishes an official peer-reviewed journal titled Journal of Integrative Medicine & Public Health (JIMPH), published through Wolters Kluwer Medknow.
The Department of Community Medicine, GMC Srinagar also runs Urban Family Welfare Centre, Anti-Rabies Clinic, Yellow Fever Vaccination Clinic and Under-Fives Clinic at SMHS Hospital, the premier associated hospital of GMC Srinagar.The Department has been conducted workshops on research methodology, qualitative research, SRMA and trainings on various national health programmes.
