1,706 clinical cardiologists in India had lost their specialist tag following Medical Council of Indias recent order of not granting approval for post-graduate diploma in clinical cardiology (PGDCC) course. These cardiologist had completed their course from 2006-2013 from Indira Gandhi National Open University. 350 doctors from Karnataka had graduated with PGDCC and 120 of them are working in the state only.

Cardiologist Dr Devi Shetty said that the aim of this course was to train physicians working in semi-urban areas in community cardiology to detect and prevent cardiac disorders. It was never meant to contest with the other medical colleges. The sarcasm is that MCI is complaining to a course started by the Union health ministry. Many cardiologists live in the cities and the worst affected are the patients staying in non-urban areas. The situation now has become the same as it was earlier of 2006 when the course was initiated.

Dr Ravi Shankar HP, who works in Chamarajanagar government hospital and is a PGDCC holder, said that he is proud to have saved many lives by detecting heart disorders among patients visiting government hospitals. He was trained in clinical cardiology for two years from Narayana Hrudayalaya.

The two-year PGDCC course is not a distance-education programme, but a post-graduation course conducted after an all-India entrance exam in 77 hospitals with separate cardiology departments. In Karnataka, 7 hospitals in Bengaluru and one each in Mysuru and Mangaluru offers this course.

MCIs major opposition was that the training programme was not assessed within one year of the course in accordance with the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956 rules. Ignou had not acquired MCIs permission before starting the course.

The course was stopped in 2013 and the last batch was graduated in 2015. There were no fresh admissions made in 2014 and 2015. Disappointed doctors approached the Delhi high court, which in September 2019 asked the Union health ministry to take a decision in the matter. The court also directed MCI to consider Ignous application for grant of recognition to PGDCC. But, MCIs board of governors had concluded that those doctors cannot be allowed to work as cardiologists.

Many of the top cardiologists, including Dr Shetty, had written to the Union health minister to recognize PGDCC. The Indian Association of Clinical Cardiologists has also raised up the matter with the Centre.

IACC chairman Dr Rajesh Rajan said that due to non-recognition of the course, they face disrespect in society and to the extent of being labelled as quacks. In few states like Kerala, the government has already appointed PGDCC doctors in taluk and district hospitals as clinical cardiologists.

Source: ET Healthworld