Date:04/07/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/07/04/stories/2009070459790300.htm

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

‘Maintain standard of medical education’

Staff Reporter

Thiruvananthapuram: Even though medical science and the health-care sector have witnessed a lot of new and positive changes, one should contemplate whether the common man is enjoying the benefits of this progress, Governor R. S. Gavai has said.

Inaugurating the third All India Health Science University Vice-Chancellors’ Conference, hosted by the Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, here on Friday, Mr. Gavai spoke of the need to maintain the standard of medical education in the country.

Vice-Chancellors from health science universities across the country are participating in the three-day conference, which has the focal theme ‘Medical Education: the Challenges Ahead.’

Mr. Gavai said that while Kerala was much ahead of the rest of the country as far as health indicators were concerned, the State needed to focus better on research and development in the health sector. He pointed out that the meeting of Vice-Chancellors of health science universitieswas an opportunity for Kerala to understand better the challenges in medical education, especially since the State was moving towards setting up a medical university of its own.

Dayanand Dodgaonkar, secretary-general, Association of Indian Universities, New Delhi, presided over the inaugural session. Vice-Chancellor of Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R Medical University, Chennai, K. Meer Mustafa Hussain said it was important that medical education was oriented to suit community needs. The curriculum should be revised so that medical students focussed not just on academics, but were also exposed to society.