Dr. Suhail Naik, Senior Consultant and Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics, has successfully completed the prestigious Certified Course in “Advanced Asthma Management”, conducted by National Respiratory Chapter (NRC) of the Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP).
Speaking about this achievement, Dr. Naik emphasized that childhood asthma remains the most common under diagnosed chronic respiratory illness, affecting around 12 percent of children.
“Though the under treatment of childhood asthma is associated with long-term morbidity and mortality, yet with timely diagnosis and proper management, most patients respond well to the first three steps of the standard treatment protocol with preserved lung functions,” he said.
He further highlighted that while the majority of patients respond to the first three standard steps of treatment and allergen trigger avoidance, a small subset of patients require step 5 management, where phenotyping and biomarker-directed biologicals and monoclonals become imperative to control the disease.
“These biologicals have revolutionized treatment. Targeted therapies like Omalizumab and Mepolizumab, which address specific inflammatory pathways and biomarkers, offer strong hope for patients unresponsive to traditional treatments,” he said.
“Such cases require comprehensive evaluation and advanced interventions, including the use of biologicals, immunotherapy, and lung function assessment — all of which demand both high expertise and vigilant monitoring,” he added.
Expressing satisfaction on completing the advanced training, Dr. Naik remarked, “The course will greatly enhance my ability to manage difficult-to-treat and severe asthma cases among children. Such skills can’t be learned from WhatsApp University. I am elated to have completed this prestigious course. It not only refines my clinical acumen but also strengthens my capacity to contribute meaningfully to pediatric respiratory care.”
Reflecting on his learning experience, he said, “It was a great feeling to learn about lung impedance oscillometry (IOS), biomarker-directed targeted therapy, and desensitization with immunotherapy.”
“As a teacher, I hold a professional and moral obligation to train my resident doctors. It’s a unique and humbling experience when one moment I’m a student taking an exam, and the next, I’m teaching my students the very skills,” he said.
