AP

New Delhi: The Undergraduate Medical Education Board (UGMEB) of the National Medical Commission (NMC) has reiterated its decision to eliminate the Respiratory Medicine department from the MBBS curriculum, defending it amidst ongoing legal proceedings before the Bombay High Court.

The regulatory body issued this clarification in response to a letter from the Karnataka Pulmonologists Association, which had urged the reinstatement of the department in undergraduate medical colleges across the country. However, the NMC justified the removal by emphasizing advancements in medical science and the availability of specialized training in Respiratory and Pulmonary Medicine at the postgraduate level.

According to the NMC, tuberculosis, chest diseases, and related subjects were introduced nearly 50 years ago, at a time when limited knowledge and skills were available in these areas. Over the past seven decades, the field has evolved significantly, and dedicated specialty and super-specialty courses in Respiratory Medicine are now accessible in medical institutions. The commission added that topics previously covered under respiratory medicine will now fall under General Medicine and allied subjects during MBBS education.

The NMC clarified that the primary mandate of UGMEB is to enhance medical education at the undergraduate level while ensuring access to quality healthcare throughout the country. The commission cited the need to promote a balanced curriculum that aligns with national health goals and provides equitable healthcare. It stressed that medical education must remain engaging to encourage students to take on leadership roles in primary healthcare services.

The commission also argued that the growing number of medical specialties—currently over 27—complicates the undergraduate curriculum. Retaining all of these as separate departments would place an excessive burden on students, potentially reducing the effectiveness of their education. To make undergraduate medical education more manageable and enjoyable, the NMC emphasized the need to integrate respiratory topics within the General Medicine syllabus. This change, according to the commission, will also facilitate the establishment of new medical colleges, particularly in rural areas, by reducing infrastructural demands.

Apart from Respiratory Medicine, the UGMEB had previously removed two other departments—Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PMR) and Emergency Medicine—from the list of mandatory departments required for undergraduate medical education. Additionally, the newly issued Competency-Based Medical Education (CBME) 2024 guidelines do not include provisions for a separate Respiratory Medicine department.

Despite appeals from various medical associations, including the Indian Chest Society (ICS) and the Indian Association of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, the NMC has not reversed its decision. Consequently, the ICS has filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Bombay High Court, seeking legal recourse to challenge the changes. Both ICS and the Indian Association of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation are petitioners in the ongoing case.

The matter remains under judicial review as pulmonologists and other specialists await the court’s decision on the restructuring of undergraduate medical education in India.

(Input from various sources)

(Rehash/Ankur Deka/MSM)