Gujarat: ICU management in MBBS syllabus

The unprecedented pandemic has ensured young medicos of Gujarat would now learn quarantine guidelines, early identification of viral infections, history of pandemics, public health administration, epidemiology and ICU management among other aspects as part of their MBBS course.

A new module on ‘Pandemic Management’ will make the new doctors future ready, said state-based experts. “Pandemic was a shock of sorts for the medical fraternity a year ago. But across the globe, medical education is adding competence based on experiences of various countries,” feel experts.

Senior officials in the state health department said that once the pandemic is under control, state will establish on priority pathological labs in each medical college to create expertise in virology and microbiology.

New module to be 80 hours long

Dr Chetna Desai, HoD of pharmacology at BJ Medical College and coordinator of Medical Education Unit at the college, said that the 80-hour module introduced by Medical Council of India (MCI) focuses on all aspects of pandemic right from surveillance to communication skills required to interact with patients and relatives.

“The pandemic required an addition of skill sets for D medical students – ranging from knowledge of donning/ doffing of PPE kit to sample collection, vaccination, emergency care, death related management, etc. The modules would be taught by different departments including medicine, community medicine, pharmacology, biochemistry, microbiology and anaesthesiology,” said Dr Desai.

Officials also pointed at emerging fields like telemedicine, contact tracing, and patient psychology that would be part of curriculum .

Dr Pratik Patel, dean of the NHL Municipal Medical College, said that the MBBS students would be taught the new module from this academic year.

Dr Aparajita Shukla, HoD of community medicine at NHL-MMC and convener of MCI-designated Nodal Centre for faculty development, said that certain elements of the Module on Pandemic Management by MCI were being addressed in older curriculum and more so in the new curriculum introduced in 2019.