Medical colleges must focus more on research now, says Sanjay Zodpey's study

The study authored by Professor Sanjay Zodpey has highlighted that now medical colleges must focus more on research to improve health facilities in India.

Professor Sanjay Zodpey is the Vice President – Academics, Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), New Delhi and also holds a leadership position as Director at Indian Institute of Public Health, Delhi. He has authored a study on medical colleges recently that suggest that after going through the experience of the Covid-19 pandemic, the medical colleges must now focus on research to improve the health facilities of the country.

The study says, "Medical colleges are centres for training medical doctors and medical specialists. The medical profession is both an art and a science, and learning the nuances requires high-quality faculty members and access to opportunities for healing patients. Medical college hospitals provide such an opportunity for training young doctors. If the health care facilities in the country are visually represented in the form of a triangle, the large base of the triangle is constituted by the primary health centres and health and wellness centres that are closest to the people. The secondary care facilities are positioned above the primary health services and the small apex is formed by the tertiary care hospitals which include medical college hospitals. Medical colleges at the apex of the pyramid are also responsible for training medical doctors and medical specialists. The co-location of medical college hospitals supports the training of students as well as providing a spectrum of health services," as reported by Hindustan Times.

Sanjay Zodpey's study details

Other significant points highlighted in his study are as follows:

• The medical institutes need a vibrant research ecosystem where there is adequate support, research competence, and constant encouragement to engage in research.
• Medical college leadership will have to devise innovative ways to broaden the research base within each college and promote multidisciplinary research.
• Clinical research should also be aligned to the wider needs of the health system. Research does not advance in isolation, it needs a broad-based team with complementary skills. 
• The various departments of medical colleges must collaborate with each other and with departments beyond the confines of the medical college.
• The tricycle of medical institutes are balanced by education and clinical care services as its two rear wheels and the front wheel is research which must navigate the tricycle and nimbly steer it on the path of social relevance. 

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