SHIMLA, June 3: The healthcare system in the country faces a major challenge as 75 per cent people reside in rural areas, President Pranab Mukherjee said today, while underlining the need to expand the infrastructure to ensure “equitable” and “quality” medical services to all.
Presiding over the golden jubilee convocation of Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) here, the President said, “Medical care is a basic requirement of people and there is need for providing better medical services in rural areas by expanding and strengthening the health services.”
He said the convocation ceremony was a culmination of long years of academic work for graduating students and they should use their knowledge, skills and expertise in serving the people and facing the challenges that come in their way.
Commenting on the challenges of providing sound medical care to the rural populace, the President said, “There is an urgent need to expand physical infrastructure in the health sector in order to ensure equitable and quality health care services to all.”
He called upon the doctors to serve in rural areas.
“Doctors serving in rural areas is an important aspect which needs to be looked into collectively by both the Centre and state governments. We also require more nurses and para-medical staff to serve the huge population of our country,” he said.
Pranab also recalled Mahatma Gandhi’s teachings of “being the change you want to see” and said Gandhiji always talked about welfare of the weakest and poorest persons to arrive at correct decisions.
The President gave away 97 MBBS degrees, 87 Post Graduate degrees, 6 PG Diploma and 6 super speciality degrees at the ceremony. He also awarded gold medals to meritorious students.
Speaking on the occasion, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh appealed to all the graduate and postgraduate students to serve the humanity with compassion, dedication and love without any monetary greed.
He said that it was a matter of pride for any institution to complete a long successful journey and celebrate its 50 years of existence.
Singh said IGMC, formed in 1966, is among few medical colleges in north India having facilities for cardiac catheterisation and angiographic services and open heart surgery facility.
Keeping in view the growing numbers of patients at IGMC, the CM announced that a 11-storey OPD block is under construction and would be completed by August 10. (PTI)
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