Dr Suhail Naik Completes National-Level Advanced Asthma Management Course

SRINAGAR: Senior paediatrician Dr Suhail Naik has completed the Certified Course in Advanced Asthma Management conducted by the National Respiratory Chapter of the Indian Academy of Paediatrics (IAP), marking an important milestone for Jammu and Kashmir’s paediatric respiratory care.

Dr Naik, who serves as Senior Consultant and Assistant Professor in the Department of Paediatrics, said the advanced certification will enable him to manage severe and difficult-to-treat asthma cases among children more effectively. He also used the occasion to make a pointed remark about the value of formal medical training in an age of misinformation, saying, “Skill and knowledge can’t be learned from WhatsApp University.”

Childhood asthma, he said, remains one of the most common yet underdiagnosed chronic respiratory illnesses in India, affecting nearly 12 per cent of children. “Though undertreatment of childhood asthma is associated with long-term morbidity and mortality, timely diagnosis and appropriate management ensure that most patients respond well to the first three steps of standard treatment with preserved lung function,” he explained.

Dr Naik emphasised that while the majority of children improve with the initial stages of treatment and allergen trigger avoidance, a small group of patients require step five management, involving phenotyping and biomarker-directed biological therapies. “These biologicals have revolutionised treatment,” he said. “Targeted therapies such as Omalizumab and Mepolizumab, which address specific inflammatory pathways and biomarkers, offer strong hope for patients unresponsive to traditional treatments.”

He added that managing such complex cases demands not only expertise but also vigilant monitoring. “These cases require comprehensive evaluation and advanced interventions, including the use of biologicals, immunotherapy, and lung function assessment,” he said.

Reflecting on the course, Dr Naik said it provided invaluable exposure to modern diagnostic and therapeutic tools such as lung impedance oscillometry (IOS), biomarker-directed targeted therapy, and desensitisation with immunotherapy. “It was a great feeling to learn about the latest advances in respiratory care. This course will significantly enhance my ability to treat severe asthma in children,” he said.

Dr Naik also underlined the importance of sharing advanced knowledge with younger doctors. “As a teacher, I hold both a professional and moral obligation to train my resident doctors,” he said. “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 I’ve just learned.”

With his new qualification, Dr Naik joins a select group of paediatricians in India trained in advanced asthma care, a field gaining increasing importance amid rising air pollution, climate sensitivity, and lifestyle-related triggers that have made respiratory illnesses a growing public health concern.