In a significant move aimed at overhauling medical education and healthcare infrastructure, the governing body of the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGI) in Chandigarh cleared a series of pivotal proposals during a meeting on Tuesday. The meeting was chaired by the Union Health Minister, setting the stage for major modernisation efforts at the premier institute.
Aligning Student-Teacher Ratios with National Standards
A landmark decision involved revising the student-teacher ratio to bring it in line with the norms followed by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi. The institute is moving away from a flat 3:1 ratio to a more structured, programme-specific model.
Departments that offer only MD, MS, or MDS programmes will continue with a 3:1 ratio. However, departments running dual programmes or those conducting fellowship programmes alongside degree courses will now adopt a 5:1 student-teacher ratio. This strategic shift ensures parity with established national standards and is expected to optimise faculty resource allocation.
Specialised Training for Armed Forces & Clinical Expansion
In a dedicated initiative for the Armed Forces Medical Services, the governing body sanctioned a new, specialised six-month post-doctoral certificate course for Super Specialist Officers. This 179-day programme is designed to be more intensive and comprehensive than previous short-term training modules, enhancing the skill set of military medical professionals.
To address the growing demand for specialised care, the body approved substantial clinical capacity expansion. Four new senior resident posts were created for the Neuroscience Centre under Transfusion Medicine. Furthermore, to establish a dedicated haemophilia treatment facility, five new teaching posts—one professor and four assistant professors—in clinical haematology and medical oncology were cleared.
New Posts and Departmental Formations
The expansion drive also includes approvals for three senior resident positions in obstetrics and gynaecology at PGI's Satellite Centre in Sangrur, strengthening healthcare services in the region. In an important academic and clinical development, the governing body gave its formal nod for the creation of a Clinical Pharmacology division within the existing Pharmacology department.
These sweeping reforms, cleared in the Tuesday meeting, underscore a concerted push by PGI's leadership and the Union Health Ministry to future-proof the institute's educational framework and scale its clinical services to meet contemporary healthcare challenges.
