PUDUCHERRY: In a shot in the arm to JIPMER, Puducherry, the Union government has sanctioned 786 new posts for the institute, including those of faculty, residents, administrative cadre, technical cadre, and most importantly of 429 nursing officers, said Director of JIPMER Dr Rakesh Aggarwal on Saturday.
The director, presenting a report at 12th convocation in the institute, further said JIPMER would start testing for monkeypox soon at its virology laboratory. The institute also plans to construct a Centre for Trauma Care and Rehabilitation and a Centre for Organ Transplantation, he said, adding that detailed project reports for these were ready. The construction of a hospital at JIPMER, Karaikal has been approved and the construction of a new campus comprising a medical college, hostels, and residences for faculty is in progress and will be completed this financial year, Aggarwal said.
While a new animal house building at Rs 30 crore will be ready soon on the Puducherry campus, a bioinformatics facility is also on the anvil, the director said. For students’ mental health welfare, a students’ welfare centre and a peer monitoring system has been set up, whereby some students themselves work towards early identification of any mental health issues among their colleagues and counsel those who need help. Introduction of biometric attendance for all MBBS theory and clinical training classes, having faculty peer reviewers during MBBS lectures to provide feedback to teachers were among the other initiatives introduced.
Aggarwal said the onco-pathology services at the institute are currently being expanded as part of the ‘DHR-ICMR DIAMONDS’ project and a new nuclear medicine therapy ward has also been opened. Since the convocation in 2019, the institute has started some new courses, namely DM (Doctor of Medicine) in Neuroanaesthesia, DM in Critical Care, 6-year integrated MCh courses {Master of Chirurgiae} in Neurosurgery and Pediatric Surgery, and PDCC (Post Doctoral Certificate Courses) in Gynecological Oncology.
Doctors must work in under-served regions: Dr Abhay Bang
Medical graduates must discover the purpose of their life and pioneer the healthcare sector by working in under-served parts of the country, said Dr Abhay Bang, Director, Society for Education, Action, and Research in Community Health (SEARCH), Shodhgram, Gadchiroli. Delivering the 12th convocation address at JIPMER here on Saturday, Dr Bang advised doctors not to sell themselves and instead make better use of their lives with a purpose, which they can only discover by choosing a path.
Dr Bang, who has done pioneering work in reducing neonatal mortality through a village community model in the tribal village in Gadchiroli, said it was important for doctors to go to places where their services are required and come out with solutions. He cited the example of Dr Ronald Ross, whose travel across India for work led to the discovery of malaria parasite.Speaking on the occasion, Dr VM Katoch, president of JIPMER, advised young doctors to find their own orbit of excellence in providing healthcare and serving people.About 450 students, who completed their courses during the year 2021-22, received their degrees.
Certificates were awarded for six Phds, 45 DMs, 191 MD/MS, 2 MDS degrees and 188 MBBS graduates in the convocation. In addition, six persons received their Post-Doctoral Fellowships and 12 Post-Doctoral Certificates. MP S Selvaganapathy, TN Dr. M.G.R. Medical University Vice-Chancellor Dr Sudha Seshayyan, was among those who were present on the occasion.
(Express News Service)