IIT-KGP, Tata Medical Centre to collaborate in medical education

Kolkata: The IIT Kharagpur and the Tata Medical Centre announced a joint programme to address the shortage of skilled manpower in medicine.

From the academic year of 2018-19, IIT-KGP in collaboration with Tata Medical Center will be launching integrated MSc-PhD programmes on medical physics, nuclear medicine, and molecular medical microbiology, IIT KGP Director Partha Pratim Chakraborty said.

While medical physics is required for radiation therapy and safety for cancer patients, nuclear medicine is needed to diagnose and treat various diseases and molecular medical microbiology is required for to fight infections optimally.

"Professors from IIT and researchers, professionals and medical practitioners from the Tata Medical Center will now come together to provide a unique common platform to pursue academic and research programmes cutting across medicine, basic sciences and engineering," Chakraborty told a press meet here.

Such a programme is the first of its kind in India and is likely to provide highly trained professionals with appropriate knowledge alongside patient-friendly practical skills, Tata Medical Centre director Dr Mammen Chandy said.

An outreach programme has also been planned for working professionals with customised training modules as per requirement of the organisation to cater to specific needs.

The joint degree programmes have been developed together by both institutions and students would spend two semesters in each institute with joint supervision by faculty and scientists of both institutions.