AIIMS Bhubaneswar, in collaboration with the Directorate General of Health Services, hosted the second National Conclave on Travel Health Clinics, aimed at strengthening travel health infrastructure in India.

The conclave brought together representatives from various ministries, including the ministry of health and family welfare, ministry of external affairs and the defence ministry, along with experts from 16 AIIMS institutions and state medical colleges.

The two-day event concluded on Friday and featured expert sessions, panel discussions and practical demonstrations, reinforcing the need for a robust, policy-aligned and research-backed approach to travel health in India. .

Executive director and CEO, AIIMS Bhubaneswar, Dr Ashutosh Biswas said: “The emphasis is on the need to establish Travel Health Clinics (THCs) across the country through coordinated inter-ministerial collaboration. A proposal has been adopted to introduce hub-and-spoke model, with AIIMS Bhubaneswar serving as a central hub to provide guidance, training and operational support to THCs nationwide.”

Deputy director-general of Public Health & International Health, Dr S. Senthilnathan, addressed the feasibility of in-travel medical care, suggesting that even without doctors on board, trained staff could manage basic health issues effectively.

Head of the Community Medicine and Family Medicine department, AIIMS Bhubaneswar, Dr Vikas Bhatia highlighted the need for structured courses, training programmes and capacity-building in travel medicine, vaccination, infectious disease prevention, and emergency travel care.