A medical conference held here on Sunday (July 19, 2026) called for steps to strengthen the role of general physicians in public health to reduce treatment costs.The conference, attended by around 300 doctors from across south India, was organised by the Indian Medical Association’s (IMA) College of General Practitioners.Around 10 papers on commonly found diseases among the people and the modern treatment methods were presented. It was followed by a panel discussion for family physicians and general practitioners. An emergency training workshop was held for the delegates. Postgraduate medical students also presented their research papers.The event was inaugurated by IMA national vice-president R. Ramesh. Oliver Noone, prominent doctor from Kozhikode, was presented with an award in memory of A. Ramanathan, prominent general practitioner from the city. Published - July 19, 2026 07:10 pm IST