The Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH), which comes under Harvard University, will assist JIPMER in setting up its own School of Public Health (SPH). JIPMER is expected to start the intake of students for its post-graduate degree in Public Health from this academic year.
JIPMER director Dr T S Ravikumarsaid on Tuesday that the assistance would be part of a memorandum of understanding signed between the UT’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and HSPH.
The collaboration is aimed at helping JIPMER develop expertise in specific areas such as public health education, strengthening of health systems, ensuring delivery of quality services, innovation and boosting universal healthcare. Ravikumar said both institutions would jointly develop objectives and frame a timetable to attain goals and meet challenges, drawing on HSPH’s rich and diverse experience. Pointing out that the country was facing a huge shortfall of dedicated public health professionals, Ravikumar said that India needs approximately 4,000-10,000 professionals. Currently, only 300 people complete course in public health in India where 23 programmes are being offered in the field.
The proposed SPH is being built at an outlay of Rs150 crore, which will be provided over five years. JIPMER is also looking at other sources of funding including international sources.
JIPMER already offers a diploma course in public health. Once approval from the MOHFW is received, the masters programme in Public Health would be launched in September, though classes would have to be held in alternate facilities until the dedicated campus is ready within about two years.
Classes will be conducted through distance-learning mode and with the help of visiting faculty from HPSH. As part of its expansion, JIPMER also plans to start a centre for emergency medicine using syllabi sourced from Indian and international medical schools.
Ravikumar also informed that the urban and rural healthcare centres of JIPMER would be upgraded while two new rural centres would be established.