Post-doctoral certificate in dialysis medicine

To create a cadre of trained professionals who can manage stand-alone dialysis units in the country, the Indira Gandhi National University (Ignou) in collaboration with the ministry of health and family welfare (MoHFW), runs a postdoctoral certificate programme in dialysis medicine (PDCDM), for postgraduates in medicine and pediatrics. 

    In India, nearly 200 people per million suffer from end stage kidney failure (ESKF) every year, who require 
maintenance dialysis and/or kidney transplant. There is acute shortage of qualified nephrologists to provide dialysis to these patients. TK Jena, director, School of Health Sciences, stressed that the one-year postdoctoral certificate programme will help upgrade the skills of practicing medical specialists and pediatricians. 


    “Dialysis units are practically nonexistent in the peripheral regions and small towns. The government is planning to start stand-alone dialysis cen
tres in these areas. There is a need for trained professionals who can operate dialysis units which can help save many lives,” says Dr Ruchika Kuba, programme coordinator, Ignou. 


    The one-year PDCDM programme covers areas such as haemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis. The programme will equip students to operate the dialysis machine, catheterise patients apart from making various shunts and fistulas to enable the dialysis. “Students will be placed 
for six months in one of the tertiary hospitals or medical colleges identified by the MoHFW, which has a nephrology department for learning the various skills related to dialysis. In addition to hands-on training, students will learn through videos prepared by experts.” informs Kuba. The course material, available in the form of booklets and videos, has been tailor-made for this programme, with the help of nephrologists belonging to prestigious institutions from across the country including AIIMS, New Delhi. “Every training centre has at least two to three nephrologists to guide students,” she says. 


    This programme is open to sponsored candidates and private practitioners. “The sponsored candidates from government organisations will take paid leave and join the hands-on training and after completing the programme, they can join back and manage the dialysis units in their organisations. The programme is also open to private practitioners. MoHFW has a provision of stipend for these participants,” says Kuba. 


    The admission fee for the pro
gramme is 50,000 which is paid by MoHFW for all candidates. There will be 90 seats for the programme. To ensure quality, uniform and rigorous assessment is carried out for the theoretical and practical component and only on successful completion are students awarded a certificate. 
    Admissions for the certificate course are on with June 15 as the deadline.

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