Safdarjung goes online: VMMC launches online course to train doctors with live surgeries

"This course will be especially helpful for budding doctors, who can see the real-time unedited video and learn the process minutely," Professor and Head of Department of Urology and Renal Transplant, Safdarjung Hospital

New Delhi: Following the good response from the website offering live telecast of laparoscopic surgeries across the world, a national online integration course under the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare will be operational at the capital's renowned Safdarjung Hospital and Vardhman Mahavir Medical College (VMMC) from next week.

The website was the first such initiative in the country and this course, as said by the Safdarjung hospital authorities, is going to be beneficial for aspiring doctors.

Confirming the effect to ANI, Dr Anup Kumar, Professor and Head of Department of Urology and Renal Transplant, Safdarjung Hospital (SJH) and Vardhman Mahavir Medical College, said "We will shortly start a national online integration course in view of the huge response we got to the live telecast of surgeries conducted by the Department of Urology from across the globe."

The Safdarjung Hospital is the only government-run hospital which conducts robotic surgeries including a kidney transplant.

According to Dr Kumar, VMMC and SJH will involve as many as 51 medical colleges across the country for online education through national integration programme under the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The international live 3-D laparoscopic advanced surgeries of urological cancers and complex reconstructive procedures will be included in the course.

Talking about the USP of the programme, Dr Kumar said, "This unique online education programme will be beneficial for learning complex surgeries step by step. Most importantly, all medical colleges can take benefits from this unique online education programme."

What is going to be the first international webcast and E-health activity in the country, Dr Kumar said: "This course will be especially helpful for budding doctors, who can see the real-time unedited video and learn the process minutely."

Since the webcast began in Safdarjung Hospital, the viewers have increased from 25 to 1,400 within a period of six months and still counting. At present, doctors from all over the world have been watching the webcast regularly.

As the Indian medical system has advanced thanks to the live webcast of the critical operations, it will take a leap with robotic surgery very soon. "We are getting applications from our country and abroad for the national online integration course," said Dr Kumar.