Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: In a move that resolves a long-standing regulatory impasse, the National Medical Commission has granted recognition to the Post Graduate Diploma in Clinical Cardiology (PGDCC), effectively validating the degrees of around 1,700 doctors who completed the course between 2006 and 2013. The programme, run by Indira Gandhi National Open University, was effectively shut down after 2013 following non-recognition by the erstwhile Medical Council of India.The decision, informed by the Indian Association of Clinical Cardiologists at a press conference in the capital on Tuesday, is also being seen as a step towards addressing the shortage of cardiology specialists in underserved regions.The move comes as cardiovascular disease accounts for nearly 28% of deaths in India, even as access to specialists remains skewed towards cities.Nearly 65–70% of the population lives outside major cities, but over 80% of cardiologists are concentrated in urban centres, leaving large regions dependent on general physicians and delayed referrals.India has fewer than 5,000–6,000 cardiologists for over 1.4 billion people—roughly one per 2–3 lakh—far below global norms.Primary care gaps, including delayed diagnosis and management of hypertension, diabetes and heart disease, are pushing patients to tertiary hospitals late, increasing mortality and treatment costs while adding to pressure on urban centres.The burden is also shifting younger, with heart disease increasingly seen before age 50 and rising in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities.Against this backdrop, the PGDCC—now redesignated as Clinical Cardio Physician (Non-Invasive)—is positioned as a mid-level solution to bridge the urban–rural gap. The two-year post-MBBS programme focuses on non-invasive and preventive care, enabling early detection and management.“India is facing a widening and underreported shortage of cardiology specialists,” said Dr Rakesh Gupta of the Indian Academy of Echocardiography.More than 1,700 doctors trained are expected to be integrated into public health systems following recognition, improving access in underserved areas.
