ICMR bats for TB course in med syllabus

HIGHLIGHTING limited engagement of clinicians, faculty, and medical students in tuberculosis (TB) care, a new report by the Indian Council for Medical Research-National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis (ICMR-NIRT) and Women's Collective Forum has urged sweeping changes in medical education and hospital practices.

- KAVITA BAJELI-DATT @ New Delhi

The report, released on Thursday by Union Health Minister JP Nadda, recommended making TB-related content mandatory in undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) curricula and examinations. It also called on the National Medical Commission (NMC), the statutory body that regulates medical education and professionals, to restore postgraduate respiratory medicine programs and to integrate TB care into the family medicine curriculum.

"Medical colleges play a crucial role in strengthening TB services under NTEP, but clinician and student engagement in TB management and research remains limited. Inconsistent participation of medical colleges in TB task force meetings and lack of accountability hinder progress," the report said.