Canada India Networking Initiative ” width=”300″ height=”198″ class=”size-medium wp-image-30045″ /> At one of the CINI events. Photo by Chandra Bodalia

THE Canada India Networking Initiative wrapped up on Sunday with an Open House at the South Asian Health Centre. A partnership between the Surrey / North Delta Division of Family Practice and Fraser Health, the Centre is the brainchild of the CINI 2010 conference, where it was recommended a centre be focused on the noticeable health disparities of South Asian patients.

“As community physicians, we see firsthand that many members of this community do not respond well to mainstream health care interventions,” stated Dr. Saroj Kumar, the Physician Lead for the Centre. “These patient experiences plus research that we looked at from around the world showed us that there was a real need for culturally tailored, wraparound services to be provided at a Centre such as this.”

CINI 2014 conference delegates and members of the public attended the event to learn more about the services provided at the Centre. Information was provided on the Centre’s Nurse Practitioner-led primary care clinic for unattached patients, diabetes clinic and the Centre’s Women’s Health Clinic.

“A first of its kind, the centre provides an opportunity to strengthen Fraser Health’s Programs with a focused population based approach for South Asians. CINI identified a need for such a Centre and congratulates the two founding organizations for innovation in Primary Care and Chronic Disease Management,” said Dr. Arun Garg, Chair of CINI 2014 and Canada India Network Society.

At maturity, the vision is that the centre will serve as a true Health Home for local South Asians, and will offer GPs a one-stop referral point for a number of services ranging from chronic disease management to elder health and falls prevention supports.