PRAVEEN DWIVEDI

Bhopal, Oct 19,2022:  Even though the pilot project of MBBS courses in Hindi is yet to take off in Madhya Pradesh although three text books (translated version) have been released, doctors in some government-run hospitals have started giving prescriptions in Hindi. One such prescription was made by a doctor in Damoh district hospital.

The prescription was given just a day after the Shivraj Singh Chouhan led BJP government in Madhya Pradesh released three translated text books for the first year students of MBBS – anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry – in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah on October 16. The medical prescription issued by Dr Vedant Tiwari, who is also the district medical officer in a government-run hospital in Damoh, not only mentioned the name but the medicines also in Hindi.

What was more interesting was that the doctor wrote ‘Shri Hari’ before mentioning the prescribed medicines. This is exactly what Shivraj Singh Chouhan had said during the press conference before the release of the Hindi version text books for MBBS students.

However, it wasn’t the only medical prescription issued in Hindi as some other doctors in government-run hospitals have followed suit. A government doctor in Satna district has also put into practice the comment made by Chouhan about writing prescriptions in Hindi with ‘Shri Hari’ on top.

“What’s wrong in mentioning names of medicines in Hindi. Just mention ‘Shri Hari’ on top of the slip and write the name of medicines. I don’t find any problem in it,” Chouhan had remarked in a lighter note on October 17. “This is a step in putting into practice the idea that one can move ahead in life through education in Hindi medium too. It’s the resolve of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the medium of education should be in one’s mother tongue,” Chouhan had said.

For the Hindi translation of books, a well-organised curriculum was prepared by constituting a Hindi cell ‘Mandar’ in February this year at Gandhi Medical College in Bhopal. The task force comprises experts from the medical field. 97 medical college teachers, and experts brainstormed about it.

Speaking to IANS on Wednesday, medical education minister Vishwas Sarang said that the step will encourage students from the rural areas to pursue careers in medical fields. “Many children who come from rural areas and have done their school education in the Hindi medium do not muster the courage to pursue medical or other courses only because of English. It may be that it would take some time but people will accept this reality when its results would be coming out after the first batch of MBBS students would complete their degree in Hindi. The process of translating books for second year MBBS students has been started.”

The Madhya Pradesh government will start teaching the Hindi version books to MBBS students as a pilot project in Gandhi Medical College in Bhopal, which is located in the premises of the state’s biggest government-run hospital – Hamidia Hospital. There are around 200-250 seats for first year students of MBBS in Gandhi Medical College, and Hindi would be optional but not mandatory, Sarang told IANS.

However, the Indian Medical Association, Andhra Pradesh chapter, has opposed the decision of the Madhya Pradesh government to teach MBBS courses in the Hindi language. In a press release, its president Dr C Srinivasa Raju said that despite the National Medical Commission’s (NMC) earlier warning of not recognising MBBS education imparted in Hindi, the MP government has announced introducing the same in Gandhi Medical College, Bhopal from the next academic session i.e. from 2022-2023. The confirmation regarding this was given by the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, he said.