Noted pulmonologist Dr Rafi Ahmed Jan has become the first Kashmiri Fellow of the Indian Association for Bronchology (IAB).
The Indian Association for Bronchology, India’s top forum for interventional pulmonology, awarded Jan for his achievements in the field of interventional pulmonology and commitment to the profession the status of Fellow of the Indian Association for Bronchology and entitled to all the privileges of fellowship.
He is a consultant pulmonologist sleep medicine and ICU specialist.
Dr Jan’s research and contributions are a result of decades of stay at Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) where he also served as Head of the Department of Internal and Pulmonary Medicine.
He is presently working at Government Medical College (GMC) Anantnag as a Professor of Respiratory Medicine.
Dr Jan has been treating people with chest and associated problems of cardiovascular and diabetes.
He was awarded the fellowship based on his scientific publications; organisation of CME, symposia, and conferences; participation and paper presentation at bronchology conference, contribution to IAB for the formation of association and strengthening the association; undergraduate and postgraduate teaching and training.
The fellowship is a life membership for five years.
Dr Jan’s achievement is groundbreaking for Kashmir, as interventional pulmonology is a relatively new field in pulmonary medicine.
Interventional pulmonology uses endoscopy and other tools to diagnose and treat conditions in the lungs and chest.
These procedures can only be offered by pulmonologists who have undergone extra training.
The procedures for interventional pulmonology include flexible bronchoscopy, bronchoalveolar lavage, biopsy of lung or lymph node, airway stent (bronchial stent), balloon bronchoplasty, rigid bronchoscopy, foreign body removal, pleuroscopy, thoracentesis, pleurodesis, indwelling pleural catheter, and bronchoscopic thermoplasty.