Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday said that medical education and treatment should be affordable.
Naidu was speaking at the 11th Annual Medical Teachers' Day Awards function here on the occasion of Teacher's day.
"Both, medical education and treatment should be affordable and within the reach of the common man. I am told that nearly one lakh MBBS graduates pass out each year. However, not all of them would be able to join post-graduate courses," Naidu said during the speech, according to the Vice President's Secretariat.
"I am informed that to meet the increasing demand for post-graduate medical education, the National Board has provided an avenue by permitting students to receive training at private hospitals," he said.
"I am happy to note that the training provided in the private hospitals is under the strict supervision of the National Board of Examinations, which conducts periodic audits of every hospital," he added.
Naidu also said that 3 to 5 years' service in the rural areas for young doctors was essential while pointing out that 60 per cent of the country's population lives in the villages.
Naidu also emphasised that both medical education and treatment should be affordable and within the reach of the common man. He said that top priority should be accorded to education and health sectors with a greater allocation of budget.
The Vice President stressed the need to increase the number of medical colleges while referring to the government's efforts to bridge the gap in the doctor-patient ratio in the country. He said the doctor-patient ratio was 1:1,456 as against the WHO norm of 1:1000.
Expressing his appreciation of the government's plan to establish at least one medical college in each district, he pointed out that the urban-rural ratio of doctors was also highly skewed with more medical professionals opting to work in urban areas.
The Vice President said it was important to ensure that medical students imbibe and practice high ethical and moral standards. He advised them to always remain wedded to the righteous cause and protect the interests of the profession and their patients.
The Vice President also paid his homage to the former President and statesman-philosopher, the late Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan on his birth anniversary today.
( With inputs from ANI )
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