(MENAFN- Live Mint)

New Delhi: India is set to introduce mandatory courses on preventative healthcare, including obesity, cancer, women's and child healthcare, and other lifestyle diseases, for all medical postgraduates amid the rising burden of such conditions, according to the head of the country's top medical education regulator.

“We are committed to promoting preventive healthcare through dedicated courses," Dr. Abhijat Sheth, newly elected chairman of the National Medical Commission (NMC), told Mint during the interview.“We are in the process of introducing postgraduate courses on preventive healthcare, focusing on areas like cancer prevention (including cervical cancer), non-communicable diseases (NCDs), women's health, and communicable diseases."

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The change in curriculum for over 70,000 postgraduate medical students across 706 medical colleges reflects the nation's impending health challenges, with obesity becoming the major driver for non-communicable diseases (NCDs). A recent Lancet study projected 440 million overweight and obese Indians, second only to China, by 2050. Also, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has estimated 1.46 million new cancer cases in 2022, a number that is expected to rise 12.8% by 2025.

“This is an important and welcome move that will help us advocate for the doctor's role in preventing non-communicable diseases like high blood pressure and diabetes," said Dr. Dilip Bhanushali, president of the Indian Medical Association (IMA). "Currently, undergraduates have a preventive & social medicine chapter in the final year, and later as a clinical posting during internship. By introducing dedicated postgraduate courses, we can ensure students gain a sound, in-depth knowledge of preventive healthcare."

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Doctor training

For undergraduates, the existing 'AETCOM' (attitude, ethics, and communication) module already emphasizes professional conduct and communication skills, said Dr. Sheth.“We will be expanding this to include more formal training on preventive healthcare for postgraduates in the coming years, with several new courses in the pipeline. These will help in increasing the awareness on preventive healthcare among doctors."

Dr. Sheth said the agenda to improve India's medical education system will focus on three core pillars: quality, quantity, and uniformity. The objective is not only to increase the number of qualified doctors but also to enhance the overall quality and accessibility of medical training across the country.

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“Our primary goal is to bring about uniformity in medical education across the country. Given the diverse cultural landscape and varied operational patterns of state governments, this is a significant challenge," said Dr. Sheth.“By establishing a uniform standard, we can ensure consistent quality. Our second priority is to enhance the quality of education itself, and the third is to sustainably increase the number of doctors. We can only improve our healthcare system when we have a sufficient number of well-trained professionals."

Last month, Mint reported that the Union cabinet approved a plan to add 10,023 new medical college seats by the financial year 2028-2029. With a ₹15,034.50 crore investment, the initiative will create 5,023 undergraduate (MBBS) and 5,000 postgraduate seats across the country. That is aimed at increasing the availability of doctors and specialists in the country and improving access to quality healthcare, especially in underserved areas.

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