Short-term programme in biomedical engineering

Updated on: Monday, December 07, 2009

With the demand for biomedical engineers and technicians being increasingly felt in health care institutions in Puducherry, two tailor-made certificate courses for engineers and diploma-holders have been launched to train candidates in the service and maintenance of medical equipment.

Foraying into the vocational stream of biomedical engineering, the Pondicherry Institute of Biomedical Engineering run by the Franco Indian Vocational Training Institute Society (FIVTI) of the Labour Department, Government of Puducherry has started the courses —Biomedical Certificate Course for Engineers (BMCE) and Biomedical Certificate Course for Technicians (BMCT) — to cater to the required manpower in the sector. The first batch of the two courses commenced on November 27.

“Presently, health care institutions in Puducherry including medical colleges and hospitals immediately need around 80 biomedical engineers/technicians. There is definitely a good demand in this sector. These courses cater to the actual servicing and maintenance of medical equipment,” said C. Jeyaseelan Devadoss, Director of FIVTI.

The objective of the institute, according to Priya Fernandes who heads the implementation of the courses at the institute, is to provide skilful and talented engineers and technicians in the biomedical field to work in association with medical professionals to serve patients better.

The 12-month course for engineers and the six-months course for technicians has an intake of 20 students each. “We are providing practical hands-on training on medical equipment for the students. It is a combination of electronics, biomedical instrumentation, computers and personality development. When it comes to jobs, they will not be restricted to repairing medical equipment alone, but can also give technical input to the healthcare institutions,” she added. Training will be imparted in maintaining equipment connected with critical care, Intensive Care Units, out-patient departments, operation theatres and equipment used in various fields including dental, physiotherapy and life support systems, Ms. Fernandes mentioned. She said MNE Technologies Private Limited, a Bangalore-based biomedical service provider company, has provided the technical expertise of setting up the biomedical infrastructure in the institute.

The eligibility BMCE is BE/B.TECH/Diploma in the field of electronics/instrumentation/communication/biomedical as well as degree in electronics and physics, while that for BMCT is ITI/diploma in instrumentation and electronics.

According to Vasunthara Devi, Vocational Instructor at the institute, the candidates on completing the courses could join hospitals and medical colleges. Those who complete BMCE could also get jobs in companies manufacturing medical equipment, she added.

FIVTI was started in 1986 and run by the French government till 2004. As the French government could not continue its administration, the Puducherry government decided to take over the institute in March 2005. The courses are part of the first such programme to bestarted at the institute.

Short-term programme in biomedical engineering

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