Chennai Sunday 19th August 2007

Seven med ical students from the University of Yamanshi in Japan are in the city to study the healthcare system in India. Nichi-In Centre for Regenerative Medicine (NCRM) at Chennai, which has a tie-up with the Japanese University, has arranged the trip as a part of an exchange programme.

The students visited the Stanley Medical College and got acquainted with stem cell applications in Sankara Netralaya, NCRM and Frontier Lifeline Hospitals in the city.

"We find that there are an equal number of women students here in medicine as much as men. This is not the case in Japan. Only around 30 per cent of students studying medicine are women in our country," said Yuki Mitsumoto, a student.

The students said there were studies conducted in a wide spectrum of diseases here and it was a good exposure to the ongoing clinical trials.

"Although we do not have many problems in communicable diseases, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension are some of the common medical problems in Japan," Hiroko Miyachi said.

The students suggested that a comprehensive healthcare insurance and better sanitation and sewage disposal facilities could help in solving socio-health problems in the country.

Yoshikazu Kitami said he wanted to pursue regenerative medicine later.

"I have seen patients in terminal stages of diseases and so I would like to pursue this field," he said. Apparently baffled by the huge population the students said they were pleasantly surprised when they saw Japanese cars on Indian roads.