BHUBANESWAR: Medical professionals must prioritise preventive care and early detection of diseases, apart from focusing on treatment, to effectively manage the challenges in country’s health sector, Union minister of state for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel said here on Saturday.
Addressing the 6th Convocation ceremony of AIIMS-Bhubaneswar, Patel expressed concern over growing challenge of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and stressed that healthcare professionals must work on their prevention and early detection.
Patel spoke about establishment of 1.84 lakh Ayushman Aarogya Mandirs, which serve as the first point of contact for comprehensive primary healthcare services within communities.
Congratulating the graduating students, she urged them to dedicate themselves to ethical, compassionate and patient-centric healthcare.
Emphasising the values associated with the medical profession, she said the white coat is a symbol of trust, responsibility, commitment and immense privilege and the graduates should wear it with confidence and compassion.
Patel said the central government was committed to expansion of premier medical institutions in the country. The number of AIIMS institutions has increased from seven to 23, strengthening access to quality healthcare and medical education across the nation, she added.
Patel also highlighted the impact of the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), which has enabled healthcare support for millions of beneficiaries.
State Health minister Mukesh Mahaling lauded the role of AIIMS-Bhubaneswar in strengthening healthcare delivery in Odisha and eastern India. He appreciated the institute’s contribution towards medical education, specialised healthcare services and research, and extended his best wishes to the graduating students for their future endeavours.
AIIMS-Bhubaneswar executive director Dr Ashutosh Biswas highlighted the institute’s achievements in academics, patient care, research, infrastructure development and innovation.
A total of 684 students received their degrees during the convocation. The graduating batch comprised 192 MBBS students, 163 MD/MS students, 60 DM/MCh students, 17 Post-Doctoral Fellows (PDF), 4 PhD scholars, 134 BSc (Hons) Nursing students, 75 BSc (Hons) Paramedical students and 39 MSc Nursing students. As many as 61 gold medals were presented to 32 meritorious students.
AIIMS-Bhubaneswar president Dr Anita Saxena, academics dean Dr Dillip Kumar Parida and registrar Dr Sudipta Ranjan Singh were also present.
