New Delhi: In a move that resolves a long-standing regulatory impasse, National Medical Commission (NMC) has granted recognition to Post Graduate Diploma in Clinical Cardiology (PGDCC), effectively validating the degrees of around 1,700 doctors who completed the course between 2006 and 2013. The programme, run by IGNOU, was effectively shut down after 2013 following its non-recognition by erstwhile Medical Council of India.The decision, announced by Indian Association of Clinical Cardiologists on Tuesday, is also being seen as a step towards addressing shortage of cardiology specialists in underserved regions.The decision comes against the backdrop of cardiovascular disease accounting for nearly 28% of deaths in India, even as access to specialists remains skewed towards cities. Nearly 65-70% of the country’s population lives outside major cities, but over 80% of cardiologists are based in urban centres, leaving large regions dependent on general physicians and delayed referrals.India has fewer than 5,000-6,000 cardiologists for over 1.4 billion people-roughly one per 2-3 lakh-which is far below global norms. “India is facing a widening and underreported shortage of cardiology specialists,” said Dr Rakesh Gupta of Indian Academy of Echocardiography. TNN