NEW DELHI: To bring a batch of doctors that can acclimatise soldiers and astronauts with altitude sickness, a specialised course for medicos is in the making.All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) are planning to develop jointly a post-graduate course in medicine (MD) that will offer practical training to students at Leh (3,500 m altitude) and Bengaluru (known for space exploration).
According to an official, the course curriculum will be developed by AIIMS while the Indian Army’s Defence Institute of High Altitude Research will provide practical training to students.“There are a range of medical issues that jawans face at high altitude posting. These include High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (squeezing of blood vessels, Cerebral Edema (swelling of the brain), strokes due to stiffening of arteries, frostbites etc. A research and training course can help in preventing casualties,” a senior official said. For this purpose, the director general of AFMS and AIIMS signed an MoU.
However, the official statement did not reveal the details of the collaboration. Meanwhile, AFMS sources said aerospace medicine will also be developed for space explorers.“The medicine could help our scientists as India is planning to send astronauts into the space under Gaganyaan mission,” sources added.