The Vice President of India, M. Venkaiah Naidu has said that Swachh Bharat is a prerequisite for establishing a Swasth Bharat. He was addressing the Convocation of Lady Hardinge Medical College, here today. The Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare, Shri Ashwini Kumar Choubey, the Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare, Smt. Anupriya Patel and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.The Vice President said that the job of faculty members does not end by merely imparting medical knowledge and skills but entails a more onerous responsibility of moulding the young minds into conscientious citizens with uncompromising integrity, high moral and ethical standards. It is said that a person, who plans for a year, sows grains, the one who plans for 10 years, plants fruit-bearing trees, and the one who plans for generations, develops human beings!, he added.The Vice President said that it is time for all public health experts, healthcare professionals, local bodies and communities to join hands in promoting hygiene and sanitation in a big way to build a Swachh Bharat, a prerequisite for establishing a Swasth Bharat.
He further said that lack of adequate medical facilities in the rural areas and the acute shortage of doctors and para-medical personnel across the country is a challenge. We need human resource in the health sector - whether it is a medical college or the paramedical staff, the country needs them in large numbers, he added.The Vice President said that the Doctors are considered next to God in our country and it is the cardinal responsibility of all those entering the medical profession to uphold the trust and confidence of the patients, who seek treatment from them. He advised the Doctors to maintain the highest standards of ethics and integrity at every stage. I am sure that all the students of the Lady Hardinge Medical College will carry on the legacy of this prestigious institute and contribute towards building a healthy India, he added.The Vice President said that in the classical Indian thought the doctors are revered as gods Vaidyo Naarayano Harihi. It is the ability to listen, ability to diagnose the problem and the ability to heal that imparts this divine touch to the noble profession you all are engaged in, he added.