Ansari calls for reforms in medical education

New Delhi, Feb 26 (UNI) Vice President Hamid Ansari today stressed on reforming medical education in the country to achieve the millennium development goals and said the current medical education programmes in India had failed to address disparities across various dimensions.

''To achieve the millennium development goals that encapsulate human development trends, then an urgent focus on reforming medical education in the country would be a critical input,'' Mr Ansari said in his address at the 'Golden Jubilee Foundation Day Function of Maulana Azad Medical College' (MAMC).

''The disparities exist between rural-urban; across various states and regions; between doctors, nurses and other para-medical staff. In terms of public policy, medical education is even more important because it lies at the confluence of education and health,'' he added.

Calling on medical students to maintain the faith of the public in the nobility of the profession, he urged them to consider specialising in disciplines on considerations other than their market value.

''Specialising in areas such as Community Health, Public Health or Preventive and Social Medicine should be encouraged. We also need to increase the available seats in such disciplines that are very few in comparison to the existing need,'' he added.

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