VELLORE: The crux of the Hippocratic Oath taken by doctors, which is to do no harm, should be followed in equal measure by politicians, bureaucrats, and the judiciary, which we don’t always do, said Minister for Information Technology and Digital Services Dr Palanivel Thiaga Rajan on a lighter note, while urging graduates of the Christian Medical College’s (CMC's) Distance Education Unit to adhere to it.
The minister presided over the CMC's Distance Education Unit's convocation event held on Saturday at the Scudder Auditorium on the Bagayam campus. He said the tremendous contributions of Christian missionaries, particularly from America, France, and other nations, in the fields of education and health, have been invaluable to the state, especially the southern districts, such as Kanniyakumari, Dindigul, Oddanchatram, Theni, Madurai, and Tirunelveli. Vellore, he said, is an exception. Highlighting the impact of these missionaries, he said the district with the highest literacy rate in Tamil Nadu is Kanniyakumari—not Chennai, Madurai, or Coimbatore.
The minister advised the graduates to stay ahead of the curve in the technological landscape and encouraged them to utilise tools like digital systems for recording patient histories.
Medical Superintendent Dr I Rajesh, addressing the students, said that India faces two major challenges in healthcare. “One is in treating non-communicable diseases, and the other is providing medical care in remote areas,” he said, while expressing confidence that the distance education programme would play a vital role in addressing the challenges.
A total of 465 students have graduated this year from various distance education programmes, with 262 receiving their degrees in person at the event.
The courses offered include the PG Diploma in Family Medicine (PGDFM), Distance Fellowship in Diabetes Management (DFID), PG Diploma in Geriatrics (PGDG), Certificate in General Dentistry (CGD), PG Diploma in Mental Health (PGDMH), PG Diploma in Lifestyle Medicine (PGDLM), Global Diabetic Foot Training Program (GDFTP), and the International Postgraduate Diploma in Family Medicine (IPGDFM).
The CMC's Distance Education Unit in Vellore was started in September 2004 with the aim of upgrading the skills of health practitioners across the country, with a special emphasis on rural and underserved areas. So far, doctors from approximately 50 countries have benefited from the programmes.
