Doctors worry over dip in number of family physicians
Times of India | 18 January 2026
Kolkata: The neighbourhood family physician, who would be accessible round the clock and knew patients well enough for a quick diagnosis, needs to return to save lives and eliminate unnecessary hospitalisation, felt a section of doctors who called for the advancement of family medicine and incentives for taking it up as a specialisation.
At a two-day conference of the West Bengal chapter of the Academy of Family Physicians of India held last week, a formal adoption and release of the "Kolkata Declaration on Strengthening Primary Care through Family Medicine" was carried out. The meet was attended by around 250 doctors.
With the national health policy geared towards hospital- and specialist-centric care, primary medicine remains neglected across Bengal and India, pointed out Abhijit Mandal, a family medicine consultant and national executive member of AFPI. "Family doctors were always there for the whole family at any point in time, which ensured immediate diagnosis and prevented avoidable hospitalisations. Unfortunately, they are now on the verge of extinction due to a fragmented, organ-based care approach. Family medicine as an area of specialisation has few takers, while those specialising in organ-specific care proliferated, leaving no option for patients' families but to fall back on hospitals. This often leads to unnecessary expenditure and does not necessarily help recovery. We need to revive and save the tradition of family doctors to practise in the community like a part of one's family. This will improve holistic patient-centred care," added Mandal.
Doctors attending the conference also released a consensus statement representing the collective voice of Family Medicine Specialists and family doctors "committed to improving the quality, continuity, and reach of primary care". The meet called for more courses in family medicine across the state and country.
"There was significant growth in the number of doctors specialising in family health across south India. In most other parts of India, including Bengal, courses were discontinued due to a lack of students. Specialist family doctors serve as first-contact clinicians, care co-ordinators, and long-term partners in health. They are irreplaceable," added Mandal, also the organising chairperson of the meet.
With modern healthcare becoming specialist-driven, people often feel lost when facing common, non-organ-specific illnesses, said Brita Datta, a family medicine specialist and organising secretary of the meet. "Reviving family doctors can be a game-changer—easing hospital burden and simplifying care. A doctor who understands a family's medical, social and mental history enables better diagnosis, monitoring, and health education. It is time to rethink the family doctor system in India," said Datta.
Bengal and much of eastern India lack structured postgraduate training programmes in Family Medicine, despite a large number of MBBS doctors working as family doctors and general practitioners, said doctors at the meet. "This gap has led to fragmented care, overburdened hospitals, limited continuity of care, and low visibility of Family Medicine within health systems. Specialist family doctors are the backbone of a healthy nation. They treat illness, prevent disease, reduce hospital burden, and guide patients across life's stages. Their role extends beyond individuals—strengthening families, uplifting communities," said Kamlesh Bhargava, organising chairperson of the meet.
A collective movement to re-centre Family Medicine in healthcare reform was needed across eastern India, said Roshni Jhan Ganguly, organising secretary.