The West Bengal government is considering introduction of classes in taekwondo, the Korean martial art, in all State-run medical colleges. According to Health Department officials, the decision is aimed at “reducing stress and increasing the physical fitness” of students. However, a section of the students called the move a “ridiculous effort” and a “face saving move” to tackle recent incidents of violence targeting them.
The development comes at a time when a section of the medical fraternity has expressed discontentment over the West Bengal Clinical Establishment Amendment Act, 2017. In February, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee raised several allegations against private hospitals at a government programme in Kolkata, following which there was a significant increase in attacks on doctors by people known to patients, both in the city and in the districts.
Health Department officials said that the plan to introduce taekwondo courses in government-run medical colleges had nothing to do with the attacks, although a course was introduced in the State-run Nil Ratan Sircar (NRS) Medical College in Kolkata within a week of the CM’s comments.
“We are considering introducing taekwondo in 12 other government-run medical colleges in West Bengal . In the first phase, we are planning to introduce it at the R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata, and the Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital,” Debasis Bhattacharya, the State’s Director of Medical Education told The Hindu.
According to sources in the Health Department, Deputy Superintendent of Kolkata’s NRS Medical College Dwaipayan Biswas is likely to be appointed nodal officer for the course. “Candidates have to be at least a second degree black belt in taekwondo, approved by the World Taekwondo Headquarters in Seoul, South Korea,” said Dr. Ghosh, who is himself a black belt in taekwondo.
