“Emergency services of PGI are stretched to capacity. The numbers of patients that are being managed are unimaginable. There is a need to expand institute in public interest,” said JP Nadda, Union health minister on 35th convocation of Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, here Saturday.
Thirty-five gold medals, 92 silver and 95 bronze medals were awarded to masterly researchers at PGIMER by the Union minister. Nadda also congratulated all the 1886 alumni who were conferred degrees on the occasion and also extended best wishes. It took him three hours to award the degrees.
‘’We are closely working with all the concerned ministries for sanctioning of PGI at Saharanpur”, Nadda announced. On the occasion, the Union Health Minister also dedicated facilities of nephrology and transplant units, high energy linear accelerator, 11kv electric substation research block and cryoablation machine to enhance the efficiency and capacity of PGI. He added that existing medical colleges are being upgraded by setting up of super-specialty blocks in70 medical colleges across the country. “To cater the regional imbalance of health facilities across the nation, we are upgrading 82 district and referral hospitals to medical colleges”, he announced.
“There will be approximately 6200 positions in upcoming days. ‘I urge all graduates and post graduates of PGI to join and serve the institute of eminence in our own country,’’ Nadda said. Highlighting the achievements of various union government initiates in healthcare, Nadda said, “Introduction of government schemes like ‘Ayushman Bharat Yojna’ will bring a complete change in delivering health care services to the poor. Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana Scheme (Ayushman Bharat) has been implemented in PGIMER with effect from October 13, 2018. Approximately 177 patients have been treated under this scheme”. Professor Jagat Ram Director, PGIMER, in his address congratulated the students and said, “Today, as each one of you receive your degrees, awards, and medals, we must make a solemn promise to serve our motherland and fellow countrymen with our experience, skill, and humility, which we have learned from this very institution”.
‘’We must remind ourselves that we have a long and tiring journey ahead, and we have to achieve a lot more in our lives. Today is the day where we announce to the world that we are less than no one,” Prof Jagat Ram added. Nadda invited young doctors and faculty to join the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in further strengthening the prime minister’s commitment to upgrade the healthcare accesses of common man.
‘’My message to the alumni is that no patient should be denied treatment on account of being poor. Never forget your humanity ,or that of your patients’. The best reward is when you are satisfied with your work. No medal can give you that satisfaction,’’ he said.
‘’Earlier, we had a deceased-centric health policy, but now we have come up with a comprehensive health policy. We are bringing a balance in primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare sectors. We need a preventive and encouraging healthcare policy that will enable us to fight the increasing non-communicable diseases,’’ he added.
