’Doctors play an important role in the upliftment of humanity: JP Nadda’

’Degrees were awarded to 434 students in the convocation ceremony’

’Health services have expanded rapidly in the country in the last 10 years – Chief Minister’

Amaanullah Usmani

Rishikesh – Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Jagat Prakash Nadda today presided over the fifth convocation of AIIMS Rishikesh. Addressing the gathering, JP Nadda said that “the convocation is a special occasion that recognizes the achievements of the students.” He said that providing affordable and quality healthcare to every poor person in the country is the priority of the Central Government.

JP Nadda highlighted the achievements of AIIMS institutions across the country in medical education and services and said that “till the beginning of this century, there was only one AIIMS in India, whereas today, 22 AIIMS are operational in the country.” He said that AIIMS Rishikesh has created a unique identity among healthcare institutions due to its excellent services. He reiterated the commitment of the Central Government to provide world-class healthcare to the citizens. He said, “The government is focused on providing healthcare that is not only curative but also preventive, palliative and rehabilitative.”

Highlighting the achievements of the Central Government in the health sector, Mr Nadda said, “Today, 1.75 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs are operational across the country providing various services related to health and wellness. There has been a 101 per cent increase in medical colleges in the last 10 years, and now there are a total of 780 medical colleges across the country. There has been a 130 per cent increase in MBBS seats and 138 per cent increase in PG seats.” He further said, “Similarly, to meet the needs of paramedics, 157 nursing colleges are also being set up, which will be co-located with medical colleges.”

The Union Health Minister lauded AIIMS Rishikesh, saying that the institute saved 309 critical patients by effectively using helicopter and drone services and became one of the best institutions in the country in providing service in remote and underserved areas of the state by using digital services like telemedicine (e-Sanjeevani). Concluding his address, Shri Nadda encouraged the students to do their work with compassion, honesty and dedication without any selfishness. Emphasizing that the government spends Rs 30-35 lakh on each MBBS student, the Union Minister urged the new doctors to take up more responsibilities at the beginning of their professional career. During the event, Shri Nadda inaugurated several healthcare facilities to enhance the medical services of the institute, including Integrated Medicine in the Department of AYUSH, PET Scan Machine in the Department of Nuclear Medicine, PACS Facility in the Department of Radiology and Advanced Pediatrics in Pediatric Care.

During the ceremony, Mr Nadda conferred gold medals and degrees to 10 medical students of MBBS, DM, MSc Nursing, BSc Nursing and BSc Allied Health Sciences programmes. A total of 434 students were awarded degrees at the convocation, including 98 MBBS students, 95 BSc (Hons) Nursing students, 54 BSc Allied Health Sciences students, 109 MD/MS/MDS students, 17 MSc Nursing students, 1 MSc Medical Allied student, 12 Master of Public Health students, 40 DM/MCh students and 8 PhD students.

Welcoming Union Health and Family Welfare Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party National President Jagat Prakash Nadda, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that many works have been done towards strengthening the health sector of the country. In the last 10 years, health services have expanded rapidly in the country. Be it the establishment of AIIMS across the country, implementation of National Health Policy-2017, Ayushman Bharat Yojana or increase in seats in medical colleges, India’s health system has been given a new height through many schemes and policies. He thanked the Union Health Minister for his continuous support for the development of health services in Uttarakhand.

The Chief Minister said that the inauguration of Picture Archiving and Communication System and Center for Advanced Pediatrics in Trauma Center at AIIMS Rishikesh will further strengthen the health services. He said that today in AIIMS Rishikesh, along with the system of state-of-the-art medical examination and treatment, various types of diseases are being treated by a team of specialist doctors. Services like robotic surgery, knee transplant facility, advanced neurosurgery and radiation therapy are also being operated in this institute. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi gave a new flight to the health sector of Uttarakhand by launching Heli Ambulance here. Under the guidance of the Prime Minister, the construction work of the satellite center of AIIMS Rishikesh in Udham Singh Nagar district is also going on at a fast pace.

*’More than 05 thousand gram sabhas of Uttarakhand have become TB free.’*

The Chief Minister said that with the guidance and support of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the state government is working rapidly to strengthen the health sector. A target was set to build a medical college in every district. Efforts have been made to provide cheap medicines and necessary treatment to the public through telemedicine network and Jan Aushadhi Kendras. 207 pathological test facilities are also being provided free of cost in government hospitals. So far, free pathological tests of 29 lakh people have been done. More than 14 lakh people have been treated in the state under the Ayushman Bharat scheme. He said that more than 05 thousand gram sabhas of Uttarakhand have become TB free. New hospitals will also be operated in view of the Chardham Yatra.