Maharashtra: AFMC to carry out research projects, seeks approval of Health University

Pune: The Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC) has sought approval for 59 research projects by its second and third year under graduate students from the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS).

"AFMC stresses on the activity so that students engage in research in addition to academic pursuits to secure their holistic development as a medical professional in the armed forces," said Air Marshal C K Ranjan, Commandant, AFMC on Wednesday.

The armed forces medical college has been for long collaborating with the Indian Council for Medical Research(ICMR) and MUHS to get funds, he further added.

Speaking on research related issues, the Commandant said that the students of 2nd and 3rd semesters collaborated with individual departments, spoke to their instructors to identify areas of research, sought suggestions from departments and faculty in areas they felt research was called for. The next step being project formulation and getting it published in a journal, he added.

The student research initiative leads to the "birth of geniuses". The college annual event offers students an opportunity to showcase their work and also learn and understand the work of others on display. They get an opportunity to interact with quality research faculty, both from the armed forces medical services and civilian medical experts, he said.

The AFMC research committee has sanctioned 79 projects worth Rs. 1.53 crores for the ongoing financial year. The committee meets in the first week of February every year to examine and sanction research projects.

Commenting on the delay in centralized admissions to medical and dental courses this year, Ranjan said that the armed forces college was affected to an extent, however, studies were now progressing normally at the college, which was gradually picking up on its academic schedule.

"As things stand today, NEET will remain the basis for admission to the AFMC," he said, adding that the authorities hoped for a well-settled time schedule for admissions next year.

Training 645 students every year at the undergraduate level for medical, dental, nursing and para-medical courses, the institution is graded ' A' by NAAC.

The annual student intake for undergraduate medical and dental courses is 130 seats, including 25 for women. Apart from this, it offers post-graduation studies in 17 subjects for MD and six subjects for MS degrees, among others

Ranjan said, "As of now, there is no proposal for any increase in student intake for undergraduate courses, considering that there is a fair mix of doctors joining the armed forces medical services from the AFMC and the civilian colleges for which recruitment is done centrally."

He said, "The AFMC's continuing research in the field of health issues encountered by soldiers posted in difficult terrains, especially high-altitude battle fronts, remains one of the most significant research effort."

Becoming a first in the city, the Military Hospital's Cardio Thoracic Center (MH-CTC), an AFMC-affiliated hospital, is soon to start performing heart retrieval and transplant operations.

"We have got the requisite approvals from the Director General of Armed Forces Medical Services and the Maharashtra State Organ Transplantation Authority for carrying out such transplant procedures at MH-CTC, our main center for heart-related ailments," said Ranjan adding that the rest of the consents would soon fall in line.