The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Research and compete, medical graduates told

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Thursday, Apr 09, 2009
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Research and compete, medical graduates told

Amritha Alladi

“Globally there is a shortage of 10 lakh nurses and 2 lakh dental surgeons”

EMERGING GENERATION: Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University Vice-Chancellor K. Meer Mustafa Hussain presenting a medal to a student at the convocation of Meenakshi Medical College and Research Institute, Enathur, on Wednesday. — Photo: B. Jothi Ramalingam

CHENNAI: The human touch and sincerity of doctors that makes healthcare in India unique is also what needs to continue to expand, according to Vice-Chancellor of Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University K. Meer Mustafa Hussain.

Addressing the convocation of Meenakshi Medical College and Research Institute, Enathur, on Wednesday, he said that there is tremendous need in the nursing, physiotherapy, and dental surgery fields, and these are areas which call for the most contact with patients.

“It’s the nurses who spend 24 hours with the patient, not the medical officers,” he said, adding that patients overcome their inhibitions to ask nurses and therapists questions they would not have asked doctors.

Globally, he said there is a shortage of 10 lakh nurses and 2 lakh dental surgeons, but gradually, awareness among Indians about the importance of dental hygiene is helping the case of the latter in India.

Furthermore, the notoriety associated with self-financed colleges 25 years ago hindered their proliferation, he said. Such colleges were thought to be set up along the business ethic, that is, merely for “swelling the pockets” of the private administrators who had financed their development; but today it is agreed that self-financed medical colleges have contributed to society and its growth. Dr. Hussain said policy makers wish to see a doubling in the number of medical colleges, to provide more postgraduate seats.

“Think globally, act locally,” Dr. Hussain advised the graduates. He urged them not to stop their educational pursuits or research after graduating from medical school. “Only if you completely research, you can compete with others,” he said.

Vice-Chancellor of Meenakshi University T. Gunasagaran explained that currently, 30,000 students pass out in India every year, but there are only 10,000 postgraduate seats available in the approximately 160 medical colleges in the country.

That means the remaining 20,000 Indian health professionals should qualify themselves further in other countries, especially now that India has started recognising some international qualifications.

He felt this is “a welcome step,” in the right direction, so Indians who complete their studies abroad can come back to fill teaching positions here.

A total of 196 received their degrees at the convocation.

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