SGPGI Lucknow Gets NMC Approval for Six Super-Speciality Courses, Including Six-Year Heart Surgery Training

The news

The National Medical Commission has recognised six super-speciality courses at Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences in Lucknow, clearing the way for the institute to start the country's first six-year MCh in cardiovascular and thoracic surgery and a DM in maternal and fetal medicine. The approval, announced in November 2026, means students can now train directly as heart surgeons after MBBS without first completing a separate three-year MS in General Surgery. The institute will also offer DM courses in hematopathology, pain medicine, radiotherapy and oncology, and a six-year MCh in pediatric urology.

SGPGI will be the first institution in Uttar Pradesh to offer a DM in hematopathology, which focuses on blood disorders such as thalassemia and haemophilia. The maternal and fetal medicine course will train doctors in prenatal tests, identification of fetal diseases and fetal therapy, which the institute says may help reduce maternal mortality, stillbirth and neonatal mortality. According to the institute's press release, about 30% of adults in the country experience chronic pain, and about 80% of those with severe pain do not receive appropriate treatment. The pain medicine course will cover modern pain-relief procedures alongside medicines. The radiotherapy and oncology course includes cancer diagnosis, staging, radiation and chemotherapy. The institute's director, Professor R K Dhiman, is a member of the NMC's postgraduate medical education board committee that approved the courses.

What is the National Medical Commission and when was it formed?

The National Medical Commission (NMC) is India's apex regulatory body for medical education and practice, established by the National Medical Commission Act, 2019. It replaced the Medical Council of India, which had been constituted under the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956. The NMC became operational in September 2020 and consists of four autonomous boards, including the Postgraduate Medical Education Board that approves super-speciality courses. The shift from the Medical Council of India to the NMC followed recommendations of the NITI Aayog and a parliamentary standing committee, aiming to bring transparency and quality reforms to medical education.

What is the existing training structure for heart surgeons?

Super-speciality education trains doctors in focused areas beyond basic medical education. Until now, a doctor wanting to become a heart surgeon typically had to complete a three-year MS in General Surgery after MBBS before pursuing a further three-year MCh in cardiovascular and thoracic surgery. The new six-year MCh pathway at SGPGI combines both stages, allowing direct entry after MBBS.

Which courses address gaps in care?

SGPGI's press release estimates that about 30% of adults experience chronic pain and about 80% of people with severe pain do not receive appropriate treatment. The pain medicine course includes medicines and modern pain-relief procedures. The maternal and fetal medicine course trains doctors in prenatal tests and fetal therapy, which the institute says may help reduce maternal, stillbirth and neonatal mortality. The hematopathology course strengthens expertise in blood disorders such as thalassemia and haemophilia. The institute's hematology department has run a DM in Clinical Hematology since 2011.