Parliament Question: Covid-19 Pandemic

GOVERNMENTOFINDIA MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE DEPARTMENTOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE LOK SABHA UNSTARREDQUESTION NO. 3596 TO BE ANSWERED ON13.03.2026 COVID-19 PANDEMIC †3596.SHRISANATAN PANDEY: Will the Minister of HEALTHANDFAMILYWELFARE be pleased tostate: (a) whether the Government has any scheme to provide specialized training to medical professionals andparamedicalstafftodealwith current COVID-19 pandemicsituations andif so, the detailsthereof; (b) whether the Government proposes to restructure diploma and undergraduate courses to include varioustypesof pandemics andtheirtreatmentandif so, the detailsthereof; and (c) whether the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has considered making it mandatory to attain specialization in at least one type of pandemic alongside specialized branchesof Medicine andSurgery during post-graduate studies andif so, the details thereof? ANSWER THE MINISTER OFSTATE IN THE MINISTRYOFHEALTH & FAMILYWELFARE (SHRIPRATAPRAO JADHAV) (a) and (b) As per National Medical Commission, a competency based module has been introduced in August 2020. It is a longitudinal module on Management of Pandemics for MBBS course.ItisdesignedinamannerthattheMBBS(UG)studentacquiresthecompetenciesnotonly to manage the illness but also the social, legal and other issues arising from any outbreak/epidemic/pandemic. Indian Nursing Council (INC) has prepared various webinar series on nursing management of COVID-19 pandemic, which have been published in public domain. INC has revised B.Sc. (N) syllabus in the year 2021 into competency based syllabus which has been successfully rolled out throughout the Country and Covid-19 has been included under Nursing management of communicable diseases under Adult HealthNursing & community health nursing subjects. Also, General Nursing and Midwifery (GNM) syllabus for nursing management of patients includes communicablediseasesintheoryandclinicaltrainings. National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions has launched a new Competency- Based Curricula for Allied and Healthcare Professions, which include basic of epidemiology and publichealth,includingriskfactors,diseasetransmission;screeningandoutbreakinvestigation. Page1of2(c) The Indian Council of Medical Research is an apex body for formulation, coordination and promotion of biomedical research in the country and is as such not mandated to govern teaching curriculumofpost-graduatestudies. ***** Page2of2