"National Medical Commission will bring great transparency," says PM Modi
The government is transformingthe entire medical education and healthcare sector in thecountry and as part of the initiative, the National MedicalCommission would bring great transparency, Prime MinisterNarendra Modi said on Friday.
The Prime Minister requested doctors to take care oftheir health as well by choosing a fitness regimen and bysticking to humour which shall help them, the patients andothers like staffers.
Wishing students well and professional growth, he said”rise above self-interest, doing so will make you fearless.” “Friends we are transforming the entire medicaleducation and healthcare sector,” he said addressing the 33rdconvocation of the state-run Tamil Nadu Dr MGR MedicalUniversity through video conferencing.
The National Medical Commission would bring greattransparency and also rationalise norms to set up new medicalcolleges, he noted.
“It will also improve the quality and availability ofhuman resources in this sector.” The NMC Bill was passed in both houses of Parliamentin 2019 and it came into force last year. The aims of theCommission include improving access to quality and affordablemedical education.
Modi said during the last six years, MBBS seatsincreased by more than 30,000, which is a rise of more than 50per cent from 2014.
The number of Post Graduate seats increased by 24,000which is a rise of around 80 per cent from 2014. In 2014,there were six AIIMS in the country. “In the last six years,we have approved 15 more AIIMS across the country.” The Centre permitted the establishment of 11 newmedical colleges in Tamil Nadu and the new colleges would beset up in districts that currently do not have a medicalcollege. “For each of this college the Government of Indiawill give more than Rs 2,000 crore.” Doctors are among the among the most respectedprofessionals in the country and after the coronaviruspandemic this respect has gone up even more.
“This respect is because people know the seriousnessof your profession where many times, it is literally a lifeand death question to someone.” Still, he requested the doctors to “keep your sense ofhumour intact” which would help cheer up patients and keeptheir morale high.
Humour would give people hope which is crucial inrecovery and this shall also help doctors in taking care oftheir own physical and mental health as theirs was a highpressure profession, he said.
The Prime Minister urged doctors to take care of theirhealth and fitness by choosing from options like yoga,meditation, running and cycling to ensure their well being.
Over 21,000 students were being conferred with degreesand diplomas and of them 70 per cent were women, he noted andconveyed his special appreciation to women.
It was always special to see women leading from thefront in any field and it was a moment of pride and joy, hesaid.
“The success of you all and this institution wouldhave made the great MGR (M G Ramachandran, former ChiefMinister and AIADMK founder) very happy. His governance wasfull of compassion towards the poor. The subjects ofhealthcare, education and empowerment of women were dear tohim.” Recalling his visit to Sri Lanka a few years ago whereMGR was born, he said India was honoured to be working for theTamil sisters and brothers there, in the healthcare sector.
Referring to initiatives like ambulance services and ahospital for the welfare of the Tamil people, he said it wouldhave made MGR happy.
Telling students that they would now see transitionfrom learning to healing, he said they were graduating at atime when there was great appreciation and respect for Indianscientists, medical and pharmaceutical proffesionals.
The COVID-19 pandemic was a completely unexpectedoccurrence for the world and there were no pre-set formula foranything and at such a time India had not only made a new pathbut also helped others walk with it.
India has among the lowest death rates and recoveryrates are high while the nation made medicine and vaccines forthe world, he said.
“Overall the Indian health ecosystem is being seenwith new eyes, new respect and new credibility. However, thisalso means that the world will have greater expectations fromyou which is a responsbility on your young and strongshoulders.” The learning from the pandemic could help fight otherdiseases like tuberculosis too, he said.
Citing saint poet Tiruvalluvars line that anytreatment covered four elements of the patient, doctor,medicine and the care-giver, he said throughout the pandemicall these four pillars were at the forefront, fighting warwith an unknown enemy.
Such people who fought the virus from the frontemerged as “heroes of humanity.” He referred to Central welfare schemes including thePM Atmanirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana, Ayushman Bharat and saidthe Jan Aushadhi Kendras have been increased to more than7,000 that provide medicines at much cheaper rates.
Medical devices like stents and knee implants havebeen made much cheaper in our country helping crores of needy,he said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Federal staff and is auto-published from a syndicated feed.)
