Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh launched the book 'Rheumatology Essentials: A New Frontier for Aspiring Clinicians' authored by eminent rheumatologists Prof. Anand N. Malaviya and Dr. Prashant Kaushik. The book carries a foreword by Dr. Vinod K. Paul and was launched in the presence of senior medical fraternity members including Dr. Uma Kumar, Head of Rheumatology at AIIMS, and Dr. Shankar Subramaniam.
Dr. Singh emphasized a three-pronged approach to improve clinical management of rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases: early diagnosis, timely medical intervention, and avoidance of unnecessary investigations. He stated this approach can help reduce unnecessary medication and investigations, prevent delays in diagnosis, and ensure patients reach appropriate specialists at the right time. The minister noted that patients with musculoskeletal complaints often undergo repeated symptomatic treatment or move between physicians without proper identification of underlying conditions.
The book provides clinicians with a practical framework to distinguish between inflammatory rheumatic diseases, mechanical-structural disorders, and nociplastic pain syndromes. It is designed for undergraduate and postgraduate medical students, primary-care physicians, general physicians, and emergency-room physicians. The publication includes information on DM, DNB, and fellowship programmes in rheumatology across India, helping students and young doctors explore specialized training opportunities.
Dr. Singh highlighted the importance of creating quality scientific and medical literature in Hindi and other Indian languages, stating that language accessibility must be supported by adequate professional literature so students are not disadvantaged by the medium of instruction. He described Prof. Malaviya as a 'teacher of teachers' who pioneered rheumatology and clinical immunology in India, establishing its identity, credibility, and institutional foundation through structured courses and training programmes at AIIMS.