PUNE The Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), Boston, USA—an affiliate of Harvard Medical School—has introduced Global Health Initiative in India. Under the initiative the BIDMC has started a Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) training programme for the teaching faculty of BJ Medical College (BJMC) and Sassoon General Hospital in Pune, said the officials on Thursday.
POCUS is a cost-effective diagnostic technology which with training, is accessible, portable, and a convenient diagnostic modality to complement physical assessments. POCUS is beneficial as it can reduce the number of imaging tests required, while also mitigating barriers to healthcare for rural and remote communities.
Considering the significance of the programme the faculty members have decided to write to the National Medical Council (NMC) to include it in the curriculum, said the officials.
The initiative is led by Dr Shweta Yemul Golhar, who serves as course director and faculty at BIDMC and Harvard Medical School.
Dr Golhar said the training curriculum is certified by BIDMC and has a duration of three to four months.
“This is our first collaboration in India under the global health initiative. It includes online interactive sessions with anesthesiology experts in Boston. It will allow the participants to apply POCUS skills in a clinical setting. The early response has been highly favourable and prompted the BIDMC team to plan the integration of more advanced POCUS techniques, including Transesophageal Echocardiography (TEE), in future sessions,” she said.
Dr Surekha Shinde, head of the anesthesia department at BJMC and SGH, said, it is important to have the knowledge of POCUS, and every doctor should know this.
“Currently all teaching staff at the hospital have enrolled for the training programme. Once the training of the teaching faculty is completed the Professors will teach the same to the students. The PG students of our department will enroll in the next batch for training,” she said.
As per officials by incorporating real-time ultrasound assessments, anesthesiologists in Pune can strengthen patient safety measures and address emergencies and other complex clinical scenarios with greater confidence. These imaging methods offer valuable insights for managing difficult airway situations, obstetric cases, trauma care, postoperative follow-up, and complications from infectious diseases.
Dr Yallapa Jadhav, medical superintendent of BJMC and SGH, informed several other initiatives will be soon started at our institute that will help the public at large.
“In India, where road traffic accidents, high-volume obstetric cases, and infectious diseases are common, the use of POCUS represents a significant advance in critical care. The initiative promotes ongoing collaboration between BIDMC and SGH, encouraging joint research, shared problem-solving, and the exchange of clinical expertise,” he said.
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