‘Need to inculcate research in medicos right from UG’

Pune: There is a need to move away from the aim of mass-producing doctors to a country that pioneers in medical research. Covid 19 has taught the country the need to collaborate medical education, medical research and public health all into one, in order to find solutions. A curious and questioning mind and an ability to do research need to be inculcated among the students of medicine, said Lt Gen Dr Madhuri Kanitkar, vice-chancellor of the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences, in the seminar on Physician-Scientist held at Symbiosis Medical College for Women on Saturday.

Raman Gangakhedkar, who is a member of an expert group constituted by the World Health Organisation that will examine the origins of emerging and re-emerging pathogens of epidemic and pandemic potential, including SARS-CoV-2, talked about his journey about beginning his research in the medical field.

Talking about the importance of research and publishing research papers, Gangakhedkar said, “I used to be in Gadikhana clinic when HIV was at its peak. Sex workers had a 50-60% HIV prevalence rate in Pune. We looked at the data and found that among women patients, there was a 14% HIV prevalence in married monogamous women with no risk behaviour. So, I wrote a research paper on this. That small contribution was used by UNAIDS advocacy towards women-centric preventive measures and interventions, which I used for advocacy of the EMTCT (elimination of mother-to-child transmission) program. I used this part to initiate a free antiretroviral therapy (ART) program. This was the first chronic infection, where the treatment had to be given for lifelong.”

Rajiv Yeravdekar, dean, faculty of health sciences, Symbiosis International (deemed to be university), said, “While the concept of Physician-Scientist is fairly well established in advanced countries, in India, the concept of research in medical academia has many lacunae. Symbiosis is aiming to give a fillip to mainstream research amongst the medical academic fraternity by collaborative arrangements with other scientific organizations who have been conferred the status of “Institutes of Eminence” by the government.”