'We plan to add six more PG courses at PGIMER'

Nibedita Pani, director of Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research and Capital Hospital Bhubaneswar, told Hemanta Pradhan about the institution's teaching and research works. She shared her experience of starting the new institute with the first batch and a plan to add six new departments.
Is there any plan to start new courses in PGIMER?
Yes. We are planning to start six new departments which will offer PG courses in pathology, microbiology, biochemistry, forensic medicine and toxicology (FMT), anaesthesia and ophthalmology. Each department will have three PG seats. We can start these courses after getting approval from the National Medical Commission (NMC). At present, the institute has admitted five students each in obstetrics and gynaecology (O&G), medicine and surgery department, four in paediatrics, three in respiratory medicine and two in orthopaedics department.
Has your institution started research along with teaching?
Yes. We had an ethical committee meeting and selected 31 research papers. Students and teachers will work on these papers. So far, we have four publications. Our students are very active in treating patients of Capital Hospital apart from study and other work. Students have submitted very good ideas for research projects. We will give them facilities to start their work.
When will the permanent campus of the institute become functional?
Construction of a permanent campus for the PGIMER is under way. It will come up on Capital Hospital land. According to the agreement, the permanent campus will be ready by January 2024.
Last year, PGIMER had conducted admission for its first batch. How is it going?
We had conducted the admission for PG courses in October and November last year. Their classes and seminars are under way smoothly. Their one round of internal examination is already over. Digital classrooms or smart classroom facilities have been provided to the students. They are interacting with different teachers and reputed doctors via videoconferencing. We are holding mutual exchange programmes for the benefit of students. Our students had visited AIIMS Bhubaneswar, while students and teachers from a private medical college had visited us. We are also holding interactions with different colleges. All six departments have smart classroom facilities. Teachers are working very hard to maintain the standard of the institute. We are working in a united manner for the betterment of the students, patients and institute.
Any new plan for the institute apart from adding new PG courses?
We are discussing with the WHO's regional office in India for a collaboration on a research project regarding growth of children. A team will come to our institute to hold discussions. We have both boys and girls' hostels of the institute. Our institute will come under the Odisha University of Health Services here.