Family Medicine: A new take on an old practice

Comprehensive Primary health care in Pakistan is lagging behind the developed world because number of medical graduates choosing family medicine as a career is sparse. Majority of Pakistani population is without adequate access to the health care system. Family medicine is a field in which complete and comprehensive healthcare services are provided to the patients and their families. It deals with not only prevention and screening but also diagnosis and firsthand treatment of many acute and chronic health problems [1]. Family physician can provide health care for almost all sorts of problems encountered in ambulatory setting and can play a key role in integration of primary health care with secondary and tertiary health services [2].