Union minister Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar on Tuesday stressed the need to shift towards a holistic healthcare approach so that different forms of treatment can work together to ensure relief to patients.
Addressing the 1st convocation of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS)-Raipur in Chhattisgarh, she urged medical students to work towards uplifting society with their dedicated services.
The Union minister of state for health and family welfare said the Centre has been working in a mission mode to provide quality healthcare services to all.
“..the way different 'pathy' (forms of treatment) worked together during COVID-19 pandemic, there is a need to work on a holistic approach of the healthcare system ahead. Allopathy, homoeopathy, Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha and Yoga all should work in an integrated approach for the convenience of patients,” she said.
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“.. our aim is to ensure relief to patients irrespective of the method of treatment. This should be your mentality and it should be brought into practice. We should take forward our culture and legacy with the development,” she added.
Highlighting the achievements of the government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, she said, “MBBS seats have increased by 95 per cent and post-graduate (PG) seats saw a rise of 110 per cent since 2014. Similarly, 665 medical colleges are presently functioning in the country compared to 387 in 2014,” she said.
She sought to highlight that over 220 crore COVID vaccine doses were administered in the country and India also supplied vaccines and medicines to over 90 countries during the pandemic.
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The Union minister told the graduating students it's time to give back to society in the form of service. A total 850 students from medical and nursing were awarded their degrees in the institute's first convocation.
“Society considers doctors next to God. You all should maintain the faith of the society with the novelty of the profession”, she said.
Pawar hailed AIIMS-Raipur for its service and said the institute has been setting up an innovation center for medical technology along with Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Bhilai.
Pawar visited a Jan Aushadhi Kendra (an outlet set up to provide quality medicines at affordable prices to the masses) and also inaugurated a dental OPD (outpatient department) at AIIMS-Raipur.
-With PTI Input
