President Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday laid thrust on developing low-cost diagnostic treatment and rehabilitative services to provide affordable healthcare to people and said India should become a hub of medical technology.
Delivering address at the second convocation of AIIMS in Jodhpur, the President urged the graduating students to always serve the needy using their skills and knowledge.
He said the country has made great strides in many spheres including healthcare but more needs to be done to ensure that quality healthcare and education are accessible to all citizens, especially those living in the rural areas and remote parts of the country.
"There is also a need to develop low-cost diagnostic treatment and rehabilitative services. I am told that this institute is setting up an Innovation Centre for Medical Technology along with IIT Jodhpur. The two are also collaborating for an AIIMS-IIT Knowledge Innovation Cluster. This is a welcome step as this will boost the medical technology sector in the country," he said.
Kovind said it is important that India starts making its own equipment that not only serves to provide affordable healthcare but also sets up India as a medical technology hub as part of the Make in India initiative.
"Only a few cities in the country are blessed with an AIIMS as well as an IIT, and this great city of Jodhpur is among them. I urge these institutes here to continue working together for the betterment of people in this area and the country," he said.
He said AIIMS Jodhpur also strives to improve the health of tribal people in this part of Rajasthan with the help of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
The President said that institutions like AIIMS were being developed to provide tertiary care to the poorest of the poor and noted that AIIMS Jodhpur has provided consultation to over 24 lakh patients to date.
"Its database will help address the health concerns of the region and also in formulating health policies. The institute has also started robotic surgery to provide ultra-modern surgical care at affordable cost," he said.
Noting that India is known as the land of Charak and Shushrut, he said the research community around the world is taking note of India's traditional systems of medicine.
"The government has also focused on extending the reach of Ayurveda, Yoga, and Naturopathy, Un, Siddha, as well as Homeopathy; known together as 'AYUSH'. I am pleased to learn that AIIMS Jodhpur has started providing AYUSH services too. It can now complement this move by taking up research in these systems. That will bring together both traditional and modern care under one roof," he said.
The president urged the outgoing students to remain full of empathy and never let an opportunity pass to save or improve lives with their skills and knowledge.
"Always try to maintain the highest level of ethical standards and professionalism for the entire career. All doctors and nursing graduates will do well to remember that the community around them looks up to them, and they will have to maintain the nobility of the profession," he said.
Kovind said he was pleased to learn that AIIMS Jodhpur has excelled in the field of medical education and become a top choice of the students after AIIMS Delhi and that it is also fulfilling its role as a state-of-art research centre.
( With inputs from ANI )