Harsh Vardhan: 'Govt committed to providing affordable quality healthcare services to all'

Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Tuesday said the government is committed to providing affordable quality healthcare services to all, even in inaccessible and difficult to reach areas, through a large healthcare resource pool. Addressing the 20th Convocation of National Board of Examinations, Vardhan enumerated the advances made in medical infrastructure and said the number of AIIMS has been increased to 21 and work is also progressing on setting up of 157 medical colleges mainly in the aspirational districts of the country to ensure that people are provided superior health services.

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"There have been far-reaching reforms in the area of medical education. The number of undergraduate and post-graduate seats have been substantially increased," he said. Congratulating the pass outs and medal winners, Vardhan urged them to uphold the values of honesty, integrity, accountability, sincerity, truth and probity in their lives and show empathy to patients and treat them with respect and dignity.

"Your journey has just begun, and it should be your endeavor to not just become a professional doctor but a 'good doctor'," he stated. "It is important to show empathy with the patients and treat them with respect and dignity," he said, adding that the graduates shall contribute to strengthening the healthcare sector in the country.

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He conferred gold medals to 71 students. "The government is committed to providing assured affordable quality healthcare service to all, even in inaccessible and difficult to reach areas, through a large healthcare resource pool," he said.

Highlighting the need for more qualified and specialist doctors in the rural areas, Minister of State for Health Ashwini Choubey urged the young graduates to serve in district hospitals. National Board of Examinations (NBE) is an autonomous organization of the Ministry of Health set up to conduct high level and uniform standard Post Graduate and Post-Doctoral examinations in the field of modern medicine and allied sciences.

NBE awards Diplomate of National Board qualifications to doctors who have completed and have qualified the three years DNB course and fellowships to doctors who have completed and have qualified the two years DNB course in respective medical specialties.

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