Safdarjung hosp third in Del to start DM in nephrology training
Vardhman Mahavir Medical College
(VNMC) and
Safdarjung Hospital
have become Delhi's third institutions to start the Doctorate of Medicine (DM) in the nephrology training programme from the 2025 session. Previously, only AIIMS and RML Hospital offered this course.
Dr Sandeep Bansal, the medical superintendent at Safdarjung Hospital, confirmed the allocation of three annual seats for DM in nephrology. "All three positions are being secured by candidates ranking within the top 10," he said.
Principal of VNMC, Dr Geetika Khanna, expressed pride in launching this course. She emphasised the necessity of an additional workforce through postgraduate programmes, citing substantial patient numbers.
Dr Himanshu Verma, who heads the nephrology department at Safdarjung Hospital, stated that approximately 6,000-7,000 kidney patients seek treatment at the hospital each month. India faces a significant shortage of nephrologists and dialysis specialists due to the increasing number of kidney-related health issues.
Statistics indicate that 10% of Indians suffer from kidney-related conditions. The country has an expanding population of chronic kidney disease patients, with roughly 175,000 new
end-stage renal disease cases
annually. The nation incurs significant expenses for dialysis and transplant treatments. The govt's
Pradhan Mantri National Dialysis Programme
assists financially challenged patients.
Despite having excellent nephrologists and transplant surgeons, India requires more specialists to handle the increasing population of kidney patients, particularly considering the country's size. Qualified nephrologists are essential to reduce healthcare costs through early identification and prevention of kidney ailments.
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