The Vice President of India, M. Venkaiah Naidu has called for a renewed focus on rural health care and cautioned that the quality of healthcare being delivered cannot be determined by the price being paid. He was delivering the 13th Convocation Address of Pravara Institute of Medical Sciences, a Deemed University (PIMS-DU), in Loni, Maharashtra today.Shri Naidu congratulated the 437 graduates who were being presented degrees and applauded their parents for supporting & trusting their wards, empowering them to fully explore their talents & creativity. He also expressed delight that a large number of graduates who won awards and medals for excellence were women. ‘There is no tool for development more effective than women empowerment’, he said.The Vice President appreciated PIMS-DU for striving to provide quality education & training to the health professionals of the nation. He said that it was rendering valuable service by meeting the healthcare needs of the rural & tribal populace at a time when India is aspiring to have more qualified doctors, nurses and therapists serving in rural areas. He suggested a mandatory rural service for doctors for 3 years.Shri Naidu lauded Padmabhushan late Dr. Balasaheb Vikhe Patil for his efforts towards setting up Pravara and for his contributions to rural healthcare.Opining that the youth of India would determine its future, the Vice President quoted United Nations Population Fund’s report which said that the window of demographic dividend opportunity in India would be available for 5 decades from 2005-06 to 2055-56, longer than any other country in the world.
The Vice President observed that the immense demographic advantage could create the space needed to increase investments in enhancing human capabilities, which, in turn, would have a positive influence on growth and development in the time to come. He emphasized upon providing quality higher education, especially professional and technical education as an imperative to empower the youth to play a meaningful role in nation building.Outlining some of the major challenges faced by healthcare sector such as the epidemiological transition being witnessed by India from communicable to non-communicable diseases, unequal access to healthcare and rising costs, Shri Naidu said that a lot more needs to be done to ensure health security to our vast population.The Vice President observed that urban areas had four times as many medical practitioners compared to rural areas, and said that this rural urban divide had to be addressed on war footing. He said that ‘Ram Rajya’ cannot be achieved without attaining ‘Gram Rajya’. He added that rural development was a cause close to his heart.Highlighting the importance of technology, the Vice President said that with technology, it was possible to reach millions of people across the country, providing better diagnosis and treatment by facilitating effective collaboration between healthcare workers.
Expressing concern over the rising costs of providing medical services, Shri Naidu opined that the integration of technological innovation with healthcare delivery will certainly help in lower healthcare delivery costs. He urged all educational institutions to invest a sizeable portion of their budget in research and development for the discovery and advancement of new technologies.Terming medical profession as a ‘mission’, Shri Naidu said that healthcare practitioners would play a critical role in nation building by safeguard the health of this nation, enabling it for it to take its rightful place of leadership in the world. ‘Only a healthy nation cab be a wealthy nation’, he added.Shri Naidu urged all the young doctors and budding healthcare professionals to treat all their patients, both rich and poor, with the same commitment, investment, respect and integrity.Reminding everyone of the lofty notion of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” that is engrained in the very DNA of Indian civilization, the Vice President implored the youngsters to let the ideal act as a beacon during testing times. ‘Nurture the values of nationalism, patriotism, honesty, peace, compassion, respect, harmony and co-existence’, he added.The Vice President called upon the students to dedicate themselves to the service of mankind, mitigate hunger, poverty, ignorance and blind beliefs. ‘Today, you have made your University proud. It is time to go forth and make your nation proud’, he told them.Pointing out that the word ‘Pravara’ meant ‘Excellence’ and ‘Eminence’, he urged the students to keep this grand tradition of ‘Pravara’ alive and blazing through their noble words and deeds.The Governor of Maharashtra & the Chancellor of PIMS-DU, Shri C. Vidyasagar Rao, the Pro-Chancellor of PIMS-DU, Shri Vijay Kelkar, the recipient of Honorary Degree, Shri Ashok Panagariya and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.