Wardha : Expansion of medical education must go hand in hand with quality, equity and access, and increasing the number of medical seats should not be mistaken for dilution of standards, National Medical Commission (NMC) chairperson Dr Abhijat Sheth said on Saturday.
Degrees were awarded to 2,320 graduands, including 123 PhD scholars and 83 medal winners, on the occasion. In her address, AIHER chancellor Priti Adani announced plans to strengthen hospital infrastructure, clinical research and super-speciality services at its Wardha and Nagpur campuses over the next two years.
She said a roadmap would also be developed for applied research and centres of excellence, with research focusing on prevention, early diagnosis, affordable treatment and maternal and child care. He was speaking at the 17th ceremonial convocation of Adani Institute of Higher Education and Research (AIHER), a deemed-to-be university, at Wardha.
“From next year, NMC, in collaboration with Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), will start postdoctoral PhD programmes,” he said. Research integration is another area being pursued by NMC. The commission is also working on strengthening clinical research requirements at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, including access to logistical resources and funding. Sheth stressed that the objective of medical education was not merely to produce more doctors but competent professionals capable of adapting to rapidly emerging technologies, making sound clinical decisions and communicating effectively with patients.