BANGALORE: “Research and teaching should be the main focus to make medical education in competitive India. The medical education institutions have to work for promoting research teaching research. The teacher’s experience in research are vital for the growth of the institution and universities are judged by extent of the research work they accomplish,” said former President A P J Abdul Kalam. Speaking on ‘Nurturing Excellence in Medical Research’ at the 14th annual convocation of the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS) here on Saturday, he maintained that the experience of research leads to quality teaching.
He asked the young graduates to address issues like elimination of TB, reducing Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) and Measels-Mumps-Rubella (MMR), ensuring non-occurrence of infections like HIV (AIDS) and hepatitis, and to find out ways to reduce the costs of medicine.
Kalam also advised RGUHS to have a vision for the next few decades. He said that the university should create the synergy of teaching and research right from the undergraduate education and it has to be known for its research in at least in five areas of health care science on its campus. The university should be a partner in the preparation of health care research road map for the state and the nation for the next three decades.
Besides, it should be a virtual education hub so that the quality education from one affiliated college of RGUHS can reach out to other affiliated colleges of the university and colleges in other nations.
Dr Kalam aslo said, “All the MBBS and MD doctors should work in primary health centres (PHC) as they directly connect the rural population.”
Honorary Doctorate Conferred
Dr C N Manjunath, Director, Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research and Honnappa Fakirappa Naikar were felicitated with the university’s Honourary Doctorate degrees for their contributions to innovation in clinical cardiology and yogic world respectively.