A pilot study regarding the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare education in India and the implications

Paras Sharma; Kona Chowdhury; Santosh Kumar; Rohan Bhatt; Tanvi Hirani; Shilpa Duseja; Mainul Haque; Afzalunnessa Binte Lutfor; Ayukafangha Etando; Ranko Škrbić; Moyad Shahwan; Ammar Abdulrahman Jairoun; Brian Godman

doi:10.4103/aihb.aihb_34_22

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ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Year : 2022 | Volume : 12 | Issue : 2 | Page : 180-189

A pilot study regarding the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare education in India and the implications

Paras Sharma¹, Kona Chowdhury², Santosh Kumar³, Rohan Bhatt⁴, Tanvi Hirani³, Shilpa Duseja³, Mainul Haque⁵, Afzalunnessa Binte Lutfor⁶, Ayukafangha Etando⁷, Ranko Škrbić⁸, Moyad Shahwan⁹, Ammar Abdulrahman Jairoun¹⁰, Brian Godman¹¹
¹ Department of Pharmacognosy, BVM College of Pharmacy, Gwalior-474006, India
² Department of Pediatrics, Gonoshasthaya Samaj Vittik Medical College and Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh
³ Department of Periodontology and Implantology, Karnavati School of Dentistry, Karnavati University, Uvarsad, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India
⁴ Department of Periodontology, Karnavati School of Dentistry, Karnavati University, Uvarsad, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India
⁵ Unit of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine and Defence Health, Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (National Defence University of Malaysia), Kem Perdana Sungai, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
⁶ Department of Microbiology, Ad-Din Women's Medical College, Dhaka, Bangladesh
⁷ Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Eswatini Medical Christian University, Mbabane, Kingdom of Eswatini
⁸ Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Clinical Pharmacology, Medical Faculty, University of Banja Luka, Banja Luka, Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina
⁹ College of Pharmacy and Health Science, Ajman University; Centre of Medical and Bio-Allied Health Sciences Research, Ajman University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates
¹⁰ Department of Health and Safety, Dubai Municipality, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
¹¹ Centre of Medical and Bio-Allied Health Sciences Research, Ajman University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates; Department of Pharmacoepidemiology, Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, United Kingdom; Division of Public Health Pharmacy and Management, School of Pharmacy, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Ga-Rankuwa, South Africa

Correspondence Address:
Brian Godman
Department of Pharmacoepidemiology, Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0RE

Mainul Haque
Unit of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine and Defence Health, Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (National Defence University of Malaysia), Kem Perdana Sungai, Besi, 57000 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia

Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None

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DOI: 10.4103/aihb.aihb_34_22

Introduction: The early approaches to prevent the spread of COVID-19 included lockdown and social distancing measures, leading to university closures. These measures forced unparalleled changes to the delivery of healthcare education. Concerns included the preparedness of faculty and students to e-learning as well as the routine availability and funding of equipment and internet bundles. This needed addressing with fully trained healthcare professionals required given rising inappropriate use of antibiotics in India, growing prevalence of non-communicable diseases as well as an increasing number of patients with joint comorbidities. Consequently, there is a need to ascertain the current impact of the pandemic on healthcare student education across India. Materials and Methods: This was a pilot study among 10 purposely selected healthcare educators in both private and public universities. The questionnaire built on published studies. Results: Identified challenges included a lack of familiarity with online education, no bedside teaching, lack of equipment and affordability of internet bundles, poor internet connectivity and postponed examinations. Ways forward included training faculty on e-learning, providing students with loans and other financial support to purchase equipment and internet bundles, establishing COVID-19 prevention protocols and protective equipment, recording lectures and tutorials to make up for lost time and simulated methods to teach clinical aspects. Conclusion: Despite challenges, there was a rapid move to online learning among surveyed universities. Alongside this, courses to address lack of familiarity with e-learning approaches with hybrid teaching approaches here to stay. The next step will be to undertake a wider study and to use the combined findings to provide future guidance.

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