Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy of India (SGEI) signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with Healthcare Sector Skill Council (HSSC) to upskill the GI Technician in Endoscopy area. Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Technician Training (GETT) is India’s first on the job training course for GI technicians. As part of the MoA, SGEI will provide training and skill enhancement for participants through a certification program and build a pool of skilled endoscopy technicians for the country. The upskilling program is backed by leading industry players- Boston Scientific India Private Limited and Olympus Medical Systems.
GETT is a well-established training program and was already certified by SGEI, and World Endoscopy Organization (WEO). The course is organized as an interrupted contact program, involving 4 modules. The 4 modules will involve an aggregate of 72-hours of training. During the course, participants will receive didactic lectures, self-read material, opportunity to assist in procedures at the centres where they are primarily attached, and learn from doctors, and senior endoscopy technician peers. The first edition of GETT was conducted in six major cities such as Delhi, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Kochi, Chennai and Kolkata. The upcoming edition will further expand the reach to six more cities in the country. The new additions are Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Lucknow, and Vishakhapatnam.
Endoscopy technicians, also known as Gastroenterology (GI) technicians or GI endoscopy technicians, primarily assist physicians with various endoscopic procedures. This upskilling initiative is an on-the-job skill enhancement programme. Additionally, participants will be exposed to different industry led innovations and learn from industry leaders in the field. Participants will also have opportunities to get accustomed to cutting-edge technology and equipment available in the industry.
Speaking on the announcement, Dr. Sundeep Lakhtakia, Hon Secretary of SGEI said, “Participants enrolled in this program will learn how to assist in a variety of GI endoscopic procedures. They will learn how to monitor patients during the procedure and care for them after the procedure. The training will also include understanding of how endoscopes and image acquisition works, principles of cleaning, disinfection and sterilization of medical instrumentation and equipment, and infection control principles. Other topics covered in this program include medical terminology, basic anatomy, few endoscopy instrumentation, and sterile processing environments. Interested applicants can access the course details and application form on our website”.
India currently has a pool of close to 3000 Gastroenterologists. Every year nearly 150 new Gastroenterologists (DM and DNB graduates) and Hepatology graduates complete their training and start practice. Endoscopy technicians have job opportunities with this increasing pool of Gastroenterology and Leptology physicians in India. There are currently over 6000 endoscopy centers in the country. Established clinics and hospitals will continue to hire endoscopy technicians as the number and complexity of the procedures increase.
