IGGMC Golden Jubilee project: Alumni to provide super specialty services in 6 departments

Nagpur: The Indira Gandhi Government Medical College (IGGMC) has decided to avail services of the college alumni in six super-specialities offered by the medical institution. The college hospital has taken the initiative in order to provide better healthcare to its poor patients and provide better learning opportunities to its postgraduate students. The opportunity comes its way with the state government's allowing super specialists from the private sector to provide their services in government medical colleges (GMCs).

The alumni will supervise the postgraduate activities as well as perform surgeries without drawing any honorarium. "This will retain difficult patients in the hospital who are otherwise referred to private hospitals and help generate teaching material for postgraduate students. It will also help the poor avoid expenses they otherwise incur at private hospitals. It is a good chance for our alumni to serve their alma mater," said IGGMC dean Dr Anuradha V Shrikhande.

The six super specialities shortlisted for the purpose of seeking services of private doctors, by college authorities are: uro-surgery, nephrology, surgical gastroenterology, paediatric surgery, plastic surgery, endocrinology and oncology said the Dean.

The project proposal along with the list of alumni willing to offer their services free of charge has been prepared and will be submitted to the state government soon.

Once the government approves these names, the college will start to avail services of super specialists before commencing its golden jubilee celebrations in December.

Dr Ravi Chauhan, IGGMC, who is handling the golden jubilee projects, told TOI that this initiative will help doctors serve their mother institute and also reduce the huge patient load on college doctors. "The basic idea is to attend to every patient who comes to the college hospital. Since no financial transaction would be involved, the government is also allowing it," he said.

"We would use the opportunity to provide better health care delivery to poor patients. Though the government has abolished the system of honorary teachers, it is promoting the use of expertise possessed by super-specialists for better management of patients in the medical colleges," said Dr Chauhan.

The college refused to divulge the names of alumni's willing to serve the college in this manner, as the list of names had yet to get an authority clearance.

"We would like to serve our parent institute which made us what we are today. It is our duty to serve our alma mater," said a senior ophthalmologist, adding that all the chosen alumni were waiting for an opportunity of this nature.