SAVE THE SAVIOURS !

As dedicated pulmonologists who  fearlessly battled on the front lines against the Coronavirus pandemic, the recent discriminatory decision taken by the National Medical Council of India deeply saddens us. It removes Respiratory Medicine as a subject from the Undergraduate curriculum of the MBBS course, effectively erasing the identity , as well as affecting the training and competence of an average MBBS Graduate .

Throughout the pandemic and well beyond, we have tirelessly worked to alleviate the suffering of patients burdened with devastating respiratory ailments such as Tuberculosis, Bronchial asthma, Pneumonia, COPD, Lung cancer,Interstitial Lung Disease , Sleep apnea, and countless occupational lung diseases. Our dedication, our sacrifices, and our selfless service are being undermined by a change that ironically eliminates the very subject that empowers us to combat these ailments.

This decision stands to impact lakhs of patients in India. According to a report by the World Health Organization, India accounts for about a quarter of the global TB burden. India also has 18% of the global population of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) patients.COPD is currently the second‑leading  cause of suffering and death in India. With the escalating pollution levels in our cities, these numbers are expected to rise. Now more than ever, we need to prioritize the education of future medical professionals in Respiratory Medicine.

India has  embarked on an ambitious goal of “TB Free India by  2025” spearheaded by the Hon’ble Prime Minister, and  this TB elimination program will be seriously jeopardized  by the policy of NMC of doing away with the department  of respiratory medicine as this policy would result in  inadequate workforce essential for the realization of the  dream of TB elimination by 2025 or shortly.

Respiratory disorders pose a huge burden of diseases in 
India. One of the largest nationwide point prevalence 
studies investigating the reasons for which a patient visits a primary health‑care provider (general practitioner,  general physician, and pediatrician) reported that 50%  of patients in India visit a doctor for a respiratory  problem (25% for acute respiratory infections and  25% for chronic respiratory diseases, largely including  asthma and COPD).[1] This study reiterates the need for  every MBBS doctor in India to be well‑versed in the  management of acute and chronic respiratory diseases.  This knowledge base and skill set can be most efficiently  Imparted by the department of respiratory medicine.

The removal of Respiratory Medicine from the MBBS curriculum is a blow to public health. The importance of this field in managing diseases that are major health issues in India cannot be overstated. We urge the National Medical Council of India to reverse this short-sighted decision and to acknowledge the importance of Respiratory Medicine in our medical education and public health initiatives.

Quality education is possible only when the experts teach the students. Eliminating the department and and the experts from the teaching curriculum doesn't un-burden the students. When we understand that Respiratory ailments are important, their experts, who deal with such diseases on a day to day basis, should only be teaching the respiratory topics for quality and better understanding.

Please join us in our fight to put Respiratory Medicine back at its rightful place; into the core of the MBBS curriculum. Sign this petition today. Let our voices be heard. Let our efforts in fighting respiratory diseases not go in vain.