systematic review of Medical Curriculum

Name: Parthajyoti Gogoi
Director RDTL

It is really encouraging that there is systematic review of Medical Curriculum

1. We require latest technology to diagnose the disease early or screen it & to have early management of cases in a cost effective manner.
2.Secondly we are in an epidemiological transition, i.e., we are having old sets of communicable diseases like TB, Malaria.etc as a major disease burden & on top of that we are having new sets of diseases or conditions like non-communicable diseases like Hypertension, Cardiovascular diseases, Diabetes, Cancer, HIV/AIDs, Road traffic accidents etc. So our healthsystem should be planned to combat this double burden of diseases.
3. Thirdly we are in a demographic transition i.e., life expectancy is increasing, health care facilities are improving. So we are having population aging. Geriatric population from last 5% is now increased to more than 8% and showing increasing trend. Their health care needs are diverse. We require more facility for this group of population like health promotion, specific protection, early diagnosis & prompt treatment of all cases, disabily limitation etc.
4. Again there is rapid growth of economy. From previous agregian society now there is rapid industrialization. Globalization also increasing the gap between rich & poor. Lack of social bonding, more stress & strain, change in lifestyle leads to more behaviour related disorders. So our education system should be well equiped for management of wide range of behaviour related disorder like STD,HIV/AIDS, Drug addicts, Hypertension, diabetes etc.
5. Now our approach is also changing from top down to bottom up approach. Now after doing community need assessment & decentralised participatory planning at community level only we can plan for tommorow. Which again requires capacity building at all levels, so that the ground level worker knows how to do planning, how to implement it & evaluate it for future improvement.
6.As our planning starts from the lowest level of health care institutions like S/Cs, PHCs etc. so their quality functioning is essential; so that all program could reach the doorstep of the people.

Sir I have gone through the curriculum. Specially the revision in community Medicine is excellent. Thanks a lot for sharing this information with me.