While addressing the first convocation of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, the Vice President of India, M. Venkaiah Naidu stated that doctors being trained for medical practice and healthcare should be taught to be more sensitive to the suffering of the patients.
He also added that it should be mandatory for young doctors to serve at least two-three years of practice at a rural center before looking at promotions for them.
The vice-president also urged the doctors to be up-to-date with methods of modern medicine and the latest trends in their fields of specialization. He also spoke about focusing on disciplines such as family and community medicine. These would be steps towards building comprehensive healthcare for people of all age groups in families and communities.
Mr. Naidu also added that the medical curriculum should be constantly updated by including the latest developments and discoveries of newer treatment methods.
He spoke about the fact that there is a shortage of physicians, other specialists, and nurses in the health infrastructure of our country. He stressed the need to increase the number of medical colleges and to expand the reach of medical services to all corners of the country. While he praised the government to be doing its best in this regard, he urged the corporate sector and NGOs to come forward and aid the government efforts in achieving quality healthcare for all.
The VP mentioned that the absence of qualified medical practitioners is a worrying reality and is resulting in people going to quacks. The need of the hour, he says, is to overcome the acute shortage of licensed health providers and improve medical infrastructure in rural areas.
Finally, the VP highlighted the need to assign priority to primary health care and tertiary healthcare. The number of doctors available at health care centers in rural areas needs to increase exponentially.