SGEI & HSSC Partner to Upskill GI Technicians in Endoscopy Area
GETT is India’s first on the job training course for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy technicians
New Delhi: Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy of India (SGEI) today signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with Healthcare Sector Skill Council (HSSC) to upskill the GI Technician in Endoscopy area. Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Technician Training (GETT) is India’s first on the job training course for GI technicians. As part of the MoA, SGEI will provide training and skill enhancement for participants through a certification program and build a pool of skilled endoscopy technicians for the country. The upskilling program is backed by leading industry players- Boston Scientific India Private Limited and Olympus Medical Systems.
Endoscopy technicians, also known as Gastroenterology (GI) technicians or GI endoscopy technicians, primarily assist physicians with various endoscopic procedures. This upskilling initiative is an on-the-job skill enhancement programme. GETT is a well-established training program and was already certified by SGEI, and World Endoscopy Organization (WEO). The course is organized as an interrupted contact program, involving 4 modules. The 4 modules will involve an aggregate of 72-hours of training. During the course, participants will receive didactic lectures, self-read material, opportunity to assist in procedures at the centres where they are primarily attached, and learn from doctors, and senior endoscopy technician peers. Additionally, participants will be exposed to different industry led innovations and learn from industry leaders in the field. Participants will also have opportunities to get accustomed to cutting-edge technology and equipment available in the industry. The first edition of GETT was conducted in six major cities such as Delhi, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Kochi, Chennai and Kolkata. The upcoming edition will further expand the reach to six more cities in the country. The new additions are Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Lucknow, and Vishakhapatnam.
Speaking on the announcement, Dr. Sundeep Lakhtakia, Hon Secretary of SGEI said, “We are extremely honoured to get into this partnership with HSSC and thank the authorities for recognising the value of this program. Participants enrolled in this program will learn how to assist in a variety of GI endoscopic procedures. They will learn how to monitor patients during the procedure and care for them after the procedure. The training will also include understanding of how endoscopes and image acquisition works, principles of cleaning, disinfection and sterilization of medical instrumentation and equipment, and infection control principles. Other topics covered in this program include medical terminology, basic anatomy, few endoscopy instrumentation, and sterile processing environments. Interested applicants can access the course details and application form on our website”.
“There is a growing need in India for skilled manpower and reduce the existing demand and supply of skills gap, especially in the healthcare sector. World-class upskilling programs like this will address the challenge of imparting the skills required by a growing economy. We believe that this initiative will benefit the healthcare sector and the youth of the country at large.”, said Mr. Ashish Jain, CEO of HSSC.
Mr. Manoj Madhavan, Managing Director, Boston Scientific said, “We are extremely delighted to partner and support SGEI and HSSC in this upskilling program. It is a great initiative to build a skilled workforce that can support India’s Gastroenterology landscape’s evolution towards producing better clinical outcomes. Acknowledgement from HSSC is a huge milestone and it provides further encouragement for all the partners involved to forge ahead with this novel and important initiative, and we are very happy to be part of this journey through this partnership. At Boston Scientific, we remain committed to transforming lives through innovative medical solutions that improve the health of patients around the world.”
India currently has a pool of close to 3000 Gastroenterologists. Every year nearly 150 new Gastroenterologists (DM and DNB graduates) and Hepatology graduates complete their training and start practice. Endoscopy technicians have job opportunities with this increasing pool of Gastroenterology and Leptology physicians in India. There are currently over 6000 endoscopy centers in the country. Established clinics and hospitals will continue to hire endoscopy technicians as the number and complexity of the procedures increase.