Regardless of how an individual arrives on the IP career path, one of the important parameters that are valued by healthcare employers is certification followed by experience. That too if certification is from the renowned institution the opportunities for professional growth becomes a cakewalk.
DIPC is a result of the collaboration of two prominent organisations, the University of Hyderabad (UoH), the Centre for Distance and Virtual Learning and Infection Control Academy of India (IFCAI). The course was built based on foresight and emerging need and was launched before the Covid-19 pandemic. Its significance is now understood well.
The University of Hyderabad (UoH)
One of the major institutions of higher education in India is largely devoted to postgraduate studies and is known for its research and distinguished faculty. Founded in 1974 has emerged as a centre of teaching and research. With more than 40 different departments and centres organised in 12 schools of study, the university has more than 400 faculty and more than 5,000 students. The university offers close to 145 different programs of study ranging from doctoral studies to master’s level degrees, as well as a range of postgraduate diplomas and short term courses by distance learning. The university hosts an ever-increasing number of foreign scholars on its study in India program. UoH has been recognised through a number of awards including PURSE, given by the prime minister of India, and grading of A, which is the highest, by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC). UoH was one of the first universities in the country recognised by the University Grants Commission (UGC) as a University with Potential for Excellence (UPE) and announced by UGC as an Institution of Eminence.
The Centre for Distance Virtual Learning (http://cdvl.uohyd.ac.in/) is one of the oldest centres of the University of Hyderabad which was officially established in the year 1994, based upon the directions received from the UGC and MHRD. The Centre initially started with two diploma programmes. Presently it is offering Sixteen One year Diploma Programmes, which are employable, knowledge oriented and skill developing programmes. These programmes are offered through distance/ online mode, i.e. correspondence cum contact programme. Most of the students are working employees from various state and central government offices, few are IAS and IPS Officers, lawyers, magistrates; some are executives from multi-national companies, corporate sectors, NGOs and also housewives. These distance programmes are also approved by the UGC-AICTE-DEC joint committee.
NAAC Rating: *5; NIRF Ranking: Among the top 10 in India.
Infection Control Academy of India (IFCAI)
One of the leading Infection Prevention and Control awareness and education initiatives in the developing world. IFCAI was established in 2016 as a non-profit trust to address the growing Healthcare-Associated Infection & Anti Microbial Resistance threats worldwide. IFCAI made the Infection Preventionist capacity building in India and other low resource countries its main objective. IFCAI has set an ambitious goal to train about 50,000 Healthcare Workers in IPC by 2022. Apart from certification programs of various duration, IFCAI also is actively engaged in publishing, research, IPC policy making and advocacy. IFCAI, recognized by many organizations worldwide as a high potential initiative and several well-known organizations have forged alliances/collaborations for research and education.