RESUMO
Resurgence of malaria in the country during seventies and subsequent implementation of Modified Plan of Operation (MPO) through Primary Health Care (PHC) system highlighted the urgent need for short term courses for PHC medical officers and clinicians at the periphery. In pursuance of these objectives. Dte. of National Malaria Eradication Programme (NMEP) laid down series of "Orientation Courses" for medical officers of PHCs and "Workshops" in management of severe and complicated malaria for physicians, paediatricians and pathologists in hospitals/teaching institutions. While there exist standard methods for evaluation of institutional courses, for peripheral short term courses, a new method i.e. "Retrospective assessment at the work sites of the participants" was followed for evaluation of the above mentioned two types of courses. The findings were revealing in as much as, besides being highly successful, medical officers of PHCs who so far did not consider them as part of the programme, then onward aligned themselves as an integral part of the campaign. These courses helped them in updating with knowledge viz. concept of malaria control, passive case detection, dosages and choice of drugs, treatment schedules particularly in pregnancy and significance of quinine and primaquine therapy. Assessment of workshops for clinicians, provided the forum for first ever interaction between clinicians and the programme in the country. The workshops provided an update with current advances/researches in the treatment of severe and complicated cases of malaria. These were considered highly beneficial, as it cleared many doubts about pathological processes and clinical manifestations including induced by drugs. The study also highlighted the deficiencies in the delivery process by the faculty.