Government to revamp medical education

Sapna Dogra - New Delhi

The ministry of health and family welfare is all set to revamp medical curriculum by introducing new courses. The government will set up a Curriculum Committee in the next one or two years to this effect, informed the Union Health Minister Dr Anbumani Ramadoss, at a meeting with private and government medical and dental college representatives recently held in Delhi. Over 200 representatives of medical and dental colleges were present at this meeting, which was held for the first time ever.

According to health minister, there was a need to revise the curriculum not only to include newer courses and more practical oriented education, but also to make it more social and rural oriented. The Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Panabaka Lakshmi said that the aim of the meeting was to enhance quality of medical education.

The draft for the curriculum is being prepared in collaboration with the HRD ministry, the minister said. Medical education has been the same for the past 50 years, the minister lamented and added that the new curriculum will look into diseases that have emerged over the years and are posing a threat to the nations' health," said Dr Ramadoss.

According to him, diseases like HIV/AIDS, osteoporosis and diabetes will be given priority in the revised curriculum. The committee will also look into the need for legislation for uniform medical education. Plans are also afoot to make a rural stint necessary before either getting a graduation certificate or before applying for a post-graduate course. This move will help improve the rural health infrastructure, said the minister, as he urged the participants to increase medical colleges in backward areas. He also pointed out to the need to start courses on family medicines and public health.

Experts have welcomed this move saying that it was high time that the quality of medical education improved further. According to Dr Shakti Gupta, additional professor at AIIMS, "Upgradation of the medical curriculum was long overdue because what is being taught is 35-40 years old.

Though informal upgradation is being done by the teaching faculty by simulation exercises etc, there's an urgent need for formal revision." He further added that the medical curriculum should be revised not only for MBBS but also for PG courses as well.