Patna: Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) is preparing to take a big step in medical research. The institute is in the final stages of forming a central-level ethical committee, which will allow it to become a recognised centre for drug trials and advanced studies. This move will strengthen PMCH’s role in innovation and open the way for researchers, students and faculty to carry out projects that meet national and international standards.
The ethical committee is being registered under the guidance of the Drugs Authority and the Health Research Department of the Union Health Ministry. PMCH principal Dr Kaushal Kishore said that the committee’s structure has already been prepared by its chairman, former paediatrics head Dr AK Jaiswal, while secretary Dr Pankaj Hans has finalised the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) and sent it to the ministry for approval. Once the registration is complete, PMCH’s postgraduate students and faculty will be able to submit their research proposals for central approval. This will also help their studies get published in international journals and allow collaborations with leading institutes such as IIT and NIT.
To ensure that research is transparent and ethical, the committee will be chaired by a senior legal expert or retired judge. Along with this, experienced members from the fields of medicine, law and social sciences will also be included. Officials say this step will make research work at PMCH more accountable and of higher quality.
At present, only three institutions in Bihar – IGIMS, RMRII and one other – have a central-level registered ethical committee. With this development, PMCH will become the fourth such institute in the state. According to Dr Kishore, this will raise the reputation of PMCH, improve the quality of research and provide new opportunities to students, teachers and researchers. He added that it will also strengthen Bihar’s position in the field of medical science at both national and international levels.
