PGI Chandigarh will include Yoga, Ayurveda and Traditional Medicine in its upcoming MBBS Curriculum

Chandigarh: Following the direction of Undergraduate Medical Education Board (UGMEB) of the National Medical Commission (NMC), the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh has recommended for the inclusion of yoga science, ayurvedic science and traditional medicine in the MBBS curriculum.

The recommendation in this regard has come from the Standing Academic Committee (SAC) of the Institute. Apart from yoga and Ayurvedic science, the Committee has also suggested for including new branches such as aviation medicine and organ transplant in the new syllabus.

Although the state-of-the-art MBBS curriculum has been designed by the institute, the final approval in this regard shall be given by the Union Health Ministry, adds The Tribune.

Established back in 1962, PGIMER is an 'Institute of National Importance' and it mainly provides PG medical degrees in almost all disciplines of medicine. However, it has MBBS students in 92 MBBS seats in the general category at the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) in Sector 32.

Medical Dialogues had recently reported that in a first, PGIMER was considering to commence admission in MBBS course with intake capacity of 100 students initially.

Although commencing an MBBS course had been a vision of most of the former directors of PGIMER, it could never see the light of the day. After Prof Dr Vivek Lal took charge of the institute, he discussed the plan of initiating the MBBS course with the Union Health Minister, who gave his nod regarding this.

As per the proposal, 100 MBBS seats will be added at the Sarangpur Centre of the Institute and regarding this, the director of the institute, Dr. Vivek Lal has opined that the course will help manage the patient load. Besides, it will also help to deal with the scarcity of resident doctors at the institute.

Meanwhile, NMC had advocated for including Yoga training in the new CBME curriculum for the MBB course. In this regard, the Circular had mentioned, "Yoga practices shall be for maximum 1 hour every day during the period of 10 days beginning from 12th June every year to be culminated on International Yoga day, i.e. 21st June, to be celebrated in all medical schools across the country. These may be practiced by all batches of MBBS. Yoga module will be made available to all colleges by UGMEB- NMC. However colleges may adopt their own modules. Yoga unit may be inducted under PMR department or any other department of all colleges at their discretion."

Later, the UGMEB of NMC had also issued a circular to notify about the common YOGA protocol which is being developed by the Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga under Ministry of AYUSH with an aim to maintain uniformity of the course.

Complying with the NMC's plans for including Yoga training in the MBBS curriculum, the PGI Chandigarh is now also recommending to add Yoga science, ayurvedic science and traditional medicine in the MBBS syllabus.

Also Read: PGIMER to send detailed proposal for MBBS course to Health Ministry

The daily adds that the proposed medical college in the Sarangpur campus will also have a 500-bedded hospital attached to it along with the requisite number beds for the respective clinical department in compliance with the NMC/DCI guidelines. 

This new 500-bed hospital will have modular operation theatres, an administrative block, a library, accommodation for faculty, paramedical staff and students, and a learning resources centre with integrated skill lab.

Final detailed proposal for this project which costs around Rs 1,800 crore, will be prepared after getting the authorities receive the approval in principle.

Also Read: Mandatory Yoga for MBBS: NMC releases Common Yoga Protocol to be followed by all