New Delhi, Feb 14 (Inditop.com) The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) Sunday announced that it is going to introduce a post doctoral certificate course in dialysis medicine from July.

A press release said that IGNOU signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Directorate General of Health Services to introduce the course. It will be offered through the School of Health Sciences.

D.K. Chaudhary, pro-vice chancellor of IGNOU, said: “The post doctoral course is a year-long programme and is being offered through the Open and Distance Learning (ODL) mode. The programme is expected to fulfil the need of trained health manpower in the field of dialysis at the district level.”

The programme includes six months of skill development training at the nephrology department in 10 centres.

R.K. Srivastava, director general of health services, said: “Dialysis is a life saving therapy for patients suffering from chronic renal failure and it affects a large number of people in the country. These patients move from one hospital to another, seeking redressal, dialysis and kidney replacement.”

“Dialysis requires the services of nephrologists, which requires five years’ training after an MBBS degree. We plan to train 250 doctors in dialysis in two years, through this post doctoral certificate programme. This will go a long way in helping patients, especially those living in the countryside,” he added.