E-Paper
With no facilities, students of PGIMER’s medical animation course left in the lurch
Training for the programme has been hampered by lack of equipment such as high-end computers for designing and animation that are essential for the course
It was meant to teach students about photographic applications in medical science with digital illustrations, medical animation and developing audiovisual content for patient care, medical education and research. However, the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, has failed to provide basic facilities for its three-year medical animation and audiovisual creation course launched with much fanfare in 2017.
Worried about their career prospects, students who wish to remain anonymous say training for the programme launched under the department of clinical photography has been hampered by lack of equipment such as high-end computers for designing and animation that are essential for illustrations and animations.
Officials say that after the first batch of the course passes out this year, “we will try to get them placed in the newly established All India Institute of Medical Science in Bathinda, Rishikesh and elsewhere.”
‘CHANCES OF GETTING HIRED BLEAK’
However, they add that without proper training their chances of getting hired are bleak.
Despite requests to the PGIMER administration to procure the equipment, nothing has been done even though purchase processes are being considered by the procurement branch.
“Without permanent faculty with some expertise in the field of graphics how can one run a professional course like this? If they cannot do so they should discontinue the course because it will ruin our careers,” say the students, who pay a course fee of ₹1,000 a year.
The department, they say, has just one computer which does not support any high-end software required for animation.
Pointing to the decline of students down the years, an official, also wishing to remain anonymous, says, “In 2017 we had eight students, in 2018 we had five students whereas there were no admissions last year.”
SELECTED THROUGH NATIONAL ENTRANCE EXAM
The three-year degree course has 15 seats, for which 10 students are selected from a national entrance exam. Five seats are reserved for sponsored candidates and foreign nationals.
Course coordinator, Prof Daisy Saini, says the students work closely with doctors and other healthcare professionals and are taught the basics of medical subjects such as anatomy, physiology and pathology by faculty within the institute.
Guest faculty is invited regularly to teach students and the process for hiring of permanent faculty and procuring equipment is continuing, she adds.
Officials, however, say that though the creation of five faculty posts has been sanctioned by the education committee and staff council, approvals are yet to be sought from the academic committee.
