The President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu, graced the first convocation ceremony of AIIMS, Deoghar at Deoghar, Jharkhand today (July 31, 2025). Speaking on the occasion, the President stated that although AIIMS, Deoghar, primarily focuses on tertiary healthcare, it should also actively provide guidance and support in the field of primary healthcare.
She emphasised that primary care is the basis of universal health coverage. She said that the team of doctors and students from AIIMS Deoghar should visit Urban Primary Health Centres and Rural Community Health Centres to assist.
She urged doctors to make inclusive healthcare their principle at the personal level as well. The President told the graduating students that getting an education at AIIMS is considered a guarantee that they have become skilled doctors.
She advised them to become a good doctor, along with being a competent and skilled doctor. She said that a good doctor should develop a sharp clinical sense as well as sensitive communication skills. We have all seen that there are some doctors after consulting with whom the patient and his family feel better.
She urged doctors to be completely clinical in their diagnosis or surgery, but not be clinical in their behaviour. Be sympathetic in behaviour and give advice with sympathy. The President said that at the national level, the government is making an effort to minimise the pressure of out-of-pocket expenditure on people related to health.
In this national effort, institutions like AIIMS Deoghar and doctors have an institutional role as well as an individual role. She advised all stakeholders of AIIMS Deoghar to together make a list of Sustainable Development Goals related to health and medicine.
She said that they should find out the status of India and Jharkhand in achieving those goals. Some goals have been achieved at the national and state levels. They can decide how this institute can contribute to achieving the remaining goals at the state and national levels.
The President said that our country has to achieve many ambitious goals in the field of healthcare. AIIMS institutions will play a very important role in achieving these national goals. Medical institutions like AIIMS Deoghar, which have been established to eliminate inequality in healthcare services, are like beacons spreading light in the darkness.
They not only have to provide world-class specialist medical care at low cost, but also have to play the role of change-agents of the healthcare ecosystem.