Admission Open 2019-20

Dr. Frieda Bokali P Engheepi defends Ph.D. thesis.

Dr. Frieda Bokali P Engheepi has successfully defended her Ph.D. thesis entitled “Impact of Environmental Barriers on Disablement Process of Community Dwelling Elderly in East Sikkim, India- a Cross sectional Study” on 10th May 2024 at SMIMS, SMU in the presence of external examiner from AIIMS, Guwahati. She was supervised by Brig. Dr. V. K. Mehta Ex-Dean, SMIMS (Supervisor) Department of Community Medicine, Prof. Nikita Joshi Sonowal, Principal SMCPT (Co-Supervisor). The eldest daughter of Mr. Prodip Enghee and Mrs. Khetoli K Yepthomi, Dr. Frieda Bokali P Engheepi was born in Dimapur, Nagaland. She passed her Secondary from St. Paul Hr. Secondary School and Higher Secondary St. John Hr. Secondary Residential School, Dimapur, Nagaland. Then, she pursued Bachelor of Physiotherapy and completed her Master of Physiotherapy in Orthopedic Rehabilitation (Manual Therapy) from Sikkim Manipal College of Physiotherapy. She had successfully completed the In-Situ International Training Program by UN-INIA in “Social Gerontology” held at Nepalese Army Institute of Health Sciences (NAIHS), Sanobharyang, Kathmandu. She has also worked as a Physiotherapist under ICMR Northeast seed grant project and as a research associate under the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP).

Currently Dr. Frieda Bokali P Engheepi is working as Lecturer in Sikkim Manipal College of Physiotherapy, SMIMS. Her research interest is in the field of Geriatric Rehabilitation, Community Health, Policy Making etc. She has published two research papers as the first author in indexed journals. She has presented and won Best Oral Paper Presentation at an International conference on Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine in Sri Lanka.

Dr. Frieda Bokali P Engheepi has expressed her appreciation towards her Brig. Dr. V. K. Mehta Ex-Dean, SMIMS (Supervisor) Department of Community Medicine, Prof. Nikita Joshi Sonowal, Principal SMCPT (Co-Supervisor) for their valuable guidance. She genuinely feels that her career would be incomplete without extending heartfelt gratitude and humble regards to the Hon. Vice chancellor Dr. Dilip Chandra Agarwal, SMU, Dr. Karma Sherpa, Registrar, SMU, Dr. Muralidhar V Pai, Dean, SMIMS, Dr. Bidita Khandelwal former Director, Directorate of Research, SMU, Dr. Luna Adhikari, Associate Dean (R&D), members of Institute Research Committee and Research Progress Committee, faculty members and staff of Department of Community Medicine, SMIMS and SMCPT and several anonymous reviewers.

Her sincere gratitude goes to all the older people who participated in the study and shared their insights and life experiences for the research. Along with that, she extends gratitude to all the ASHA workers, Panchayat members, and community dwellers who generously helped her during the survey to locate houses and wards.

She is thankful to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for the opportunity to work as a Physiotherapist under the Northeast Seed Grant project, which helped in financing the study.

Her PhD would not have been possible without the unwavering support of parents, both emotionally and financially. Their constant encouragement and prayers fuelled her will to persevere. She is forever grateful to siblings and in-laws for their love and support.

Finally, she expresses her profound gratitude to her husband Mr. Ajoy Daniel Rai, Assistant Professor, SMCPT for his love, support, and unwavering faith throughout this academic journey.

The Doctor of Philosophy will be awarded to her during the forthcoming Convocation of Sikkim Manipal University (SMU).