Urgent attention from all concerned is required to train healthcare professionals worldwide in humanistic and ethical principles with integrated curriculum in medical colleges, said Dr. Russel D’Souza, Head of Asia Pacific Division of the UNESCO Chair of Bioethics.
 
He was inaugurating the Nodal Centre at Sri Ramachandra University in Chennai.  Even after bioethics accreditation in vogue for over 35 years in developed countries, there is a wide gap in medical practice.  The integrated bioethics curriculum, he said, is based on the golden principles of UNIESCO’s universal declaration on bioethics and human rights in 2005 to offset the deteriorating doctor- patient relationship worldwide, she said.
 
Dr S Geetha Lekshmi, Vice Chancellor of  The Tamil Nadu Dr.MGR Medical University, said bioethics will become an integral part of its revamped  curriculum for undergraduates, post graduates and higher specialties and it is underway.  With new discoveries and high tech applications modern healthcare has become highly complex and medical ethics has acquired even greater significance, she added.
 
Dr  P V Vijayaraghavan, Head of the UNESCO Chair of Bio Ethics at Sri Ramachandra University said there is no structured format yet for an integrated bio ethics curriculum and there is an urgent need for developing a comprehensive model that can be considered by medical and other councils in India.
 
Dr J S N Murthy, Vice Chancellor received the Writ of Establishment of the UNESCO Chair in Sri Ramachandra University from Dr.Russell D’Souza.