Pulmonary clinician Prof. Atul C. Mehta (third right) presenting Indian Chest Society lifetime achievement award to pulmonologist Narayan Mishra (third left) at the 26th National Conference on Pulmonary Diseases held at PSG IMSR in Coimbatore on Thursday.
| Photo Credit: M. PERIASAMY
The National College of Chest Physicians (India) and the Indian Chest Society have appealed to the Union Government to reinstate respiratory medicine in the MBBS curriculum.
“Around 60 % of diseases that are coming to doctors are respiratory diseases. After completing MBBS, a doctor will have to take care of patients with respiratory problems. Unfortunately, the National Medical Council (NMC) removed respiratory medicine as one of the subjects in MBBS last year. This is going to have a serious impact on public health. The NMC should reinstate respiratory medicine in the undergraduate medical curriculum,” said ICS treasurer Subhakar Kandi, on the sidelines of the 26th National Conference on Pulmonary Diseases (NAPCON-2024) that started at PSG Institute of Medical Sciences and Research in Coimbatore on Thursday.
He said NCCP(I) and ICS were fighting with the Union Government to include respiratory medicine as one of the subjects.
“In fact, if we want to end tuberculosis (TB) by 2025 and undergraduates are not taught to treat TB, the goal of reaching ‘End TB by 2025’ will be a myth. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is going to be the second leading cause of death in India, with 38 million people suffering. So, undergraduates should have knowledge about respiratory diseases,” added Dr. Kandi.
Jointly organised by NCCP (I) and ICS, NAPCON 2024 was inaugurated by renowned pulmonary clinician Prof. Atul C. Mehta. Over 2,200 delegates are expected to take part in the four-day conference, which will have 620 national and 54 international faculties, with sessions to be held in nine parallel halls.
ICS president Ravindra Sarnaik, NAPCON organising chairman and NCCP (I) president Mohankumar Thekkinkattil, NCCP (I) secretary S.N. Gaur, NCCP (I) joint secretary Nikhil Sarangdhar, NAPCON organising secretary Karthikeyan R. and chairman of scientific committee S.K. Katiyar spoke. Various awards instituted by NCCP (I) and ICS were given away.
Published – November 21, 2024 09:53 pm IST