Pediatric Pulmonology Training in India: Current Status and Future Directions

Abstract

Respiratory illnesses are common causes of morbidity and mortality in children. Postgraduates in Pediatrics spent significant time in learning to manage respiratory disorders. Improved survival of preterm neonates, improved diagnosis and survival of chronic respiratory problems, and advances in diagnosis and therapeutics have increased the need for specialists trained in managing these patients. Training programs in Pediatric Pulmonology are evolving over the past few decades. In India, super-specialty training in Pediatric Pulmonology has grown over the past few years. There is a need to modify the training structure used in industrialized countries due to differences in patient population, priorities, and limited available resources and expertise. Formal training courses have been started in a limited number of institutions. There is a large gap between the need for a trained workforce and the available specialists in the limited number of institutions. The Indian Academy of Pediatrics National Respiratory Chapter (IAPNRC) has initiated a fellowship program to bridge the gap. Comprehensive training involving academic and hands-on training may go a long way to improve the care of children with acute and chronic respiratory problems. For sustainable development of the super specialty, there is a need to work towards creating Pediatric Pulmonology service departments in various institutions that may be responsible for comprehensive training and research activities to answer common research questions.