The development was confirmed by the Indian Association of Clinical Cardiologists (IACC) at a press conference held at the Constitution Club of India on Wednesday.
IGNOU
After a two-decade-long legal battle, the Post Graduate Diploma in Clinical Cardiology (PGDCC), now redesignated as Clinical Cardio Physician (Non-Invasive) PGDCCP (NI) under Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), has received official recognition from the National Medical Commission (NMC).
The development was confirmed by the Indian Association of Clinical Cardiologists (IACC) at a press conference held at the Constitution Club of India on Wednesday.
Advertisement
The two-year post-MBBS programme aims to address a critical gap, as rural and semi-urban India continue to face a shortage of cardiology specialists. Speakers at the press conference said the recognition provides a direct and structural solution to this pressing healthcare challenge.
Advertisement
“India is facing a widening and underreported shortage of cardiology specialists, even as cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of death in the country,” said Dr Rakesh Gupta of the Indian Academy of Echocardiography.
“We have fewer than 5,000 to 6,000 trained cardiologists serving a population of over 140 crore. This translates to roughly one cardiologist per 2–3 lakh people,” he claimed.
Dr Kapil Khanna, National President of the Indian Association of Clinical Cardiologists, said rural patients often face delays in referrals to tertiary hospitals, while primary care centres sometimes lack early diagnostic tools.
He added that doctors often delay the management of hypertension, diabetes and ischaemic heart disease, resulting in patients reaching advanced cardiac centres too late.
According to experts, the PGDCC programme was launched in 2006 to address this very gap, with a focus on bridging the urban-rural divide.
The two-year course focuses on non-invasive cardiology and preventive care and is designed to prepare MBBS doctors to serve underserved populations in primary and secondary healthcare settings.
Professor A.K. Agarwal, former Director of the School of Health Sciences (SOHS), IGNOU, highlighted the programme’s academic journey. “Over the past 20 years, 1,706 doctors have completed the diploma. Training was conducted across 77 institutions nationwide, and the programmes were led by eminent cardiology professors,” he said.
He added that with formal recognition now in place, these trained doctors are expected to become eligible for government recruitment and structured integration into the public healthcare system.
The senior doctor also credited Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for facilitating the final recognition.
Advertisement
