The rift between the fraternity of cardiologists over what constitutes the qualification of cardiologists has come to the fore with the Indian Association of Clinical Cardiologists (IACC) slamming the recent remarks made by members of certain other professional bodies of cardiologists – the Indian College of Cardiology (ICC), Cardiological Society of India (CSI)-Kerala chapter, and Kerala Heart Rhythm Society (KHRM) – about them.
Members of the ICC, CSI, and KHRM had, in a joint statement made a few days ago, said that it was illegal and unethical that MBBS doctors with a Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Cardiology (PGDCC) – an unrecognised qualification – are practising as cardiologists.
Defamatory statement
The IACC, an association of MBBS holders with additional PGDCC, has now reacted sharply against the “defamatory” statement made against them.
IACC general secretary Mohammed Shafiq and president Rajesh Rajan said in a statement here that PGDCC was not a bogus qualification, but a full-time two-year residency programme in non-interventional cardiology, conducted in leading teaching institutions and taught by eminent teachers of cardiology.
They said that while PGDCC was not recognised by the Medical Council of India (MCI), the qualification was recognised by many foreign countries, the American College of Cardiology and the European Society of Cardiology, and that there was no bar on doctors with PGDCC practising as clinical cardiologists.
Entrance exam
The IACC pointed out that admission to PGDCC was conducted on the basis of an entrance exam and that the course had a structured curriculum with specific number of supervised cases and practice hours.
It said that all over the country, PGDCC doctors were working harmoniously with Cardiology specialists (with DM/DNB degrees) and that many PGDCC holders were working in rural areas and in the State Health Service and were appreciated for their early recognition of cardiac issues among people and proper referral to cardiac surgeons. Outright dismissal of the service rendered by PGDCC doctors was unfair and discriminatory, the statement said.
Condemns propaganda
Lending his support to the statement by IACC, G. Vijayaraghavan, former Professor of Cardiology, Government Medical College here, has condemned the propaganda against PGDCC doctors by those occupying respectable positions in the CSI and ICC.
Dr. Vijayaraghavan said that there was nothing holy about MCI recognition.
Also, it is only five years since the MCI deigned to recognise the DNB awarded by the National Board, while the same had been recognised by all foreign countries since ages.
