Incentivise doctors to serve underserved areas: Kovind

Chandigarh, April 26

The Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Chandigarh, marked a historic milestone with its inaugural post graduate convocation ceremony held in the college auditorium in Sector 32 here today.

Former President Ram Nath Kovind was the chief guest on the occasion while Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Banwarilal Purohit was the guest of honour.

In his address, Kovind highlighted the pressing need to address the shortage of doctors in rural and semi-urban areas, stressing the importance of incentivising medical professionals to serve these underserved regions.

Commending the dedication and perseverance of the graduating postgraduate students, Kovind emphasised the pivotal role healthcare professionals play in serving society, particularly in challenging times. He encouraged the graduates to continue striving for excellence in their field, underscoring the importance of their contribution towards advancing medical knowledge and healthcare practices.

Kovind applauded the GMCH for its dedication in providing tertiary-level healthcare services, catering not only to the residents of Chandigarh but also to patients from surrounding states. “Every year, the GMCH provides OPD services to about 7 lakh patients, 60,000 patients are admitted to various wards every year and about 1.5 lakh patients are attended to in the Emergency,” stated Kovind.

He emphasised the fundamental right to access healthcare and highlighted India’s progress in delivering high-quality medical services, making it a medical destination for patients from neighbouring countries.

Addressing healthcare challenges, Kovind acknowledged the burden of infectious diseases and the rise of lifestyle-related ailments such as diabetes, hypertension and coronary artery disease. He stressed the importance of promoting a healthy lifestyle to mitigate the impact of these diseases and reduce healthcare costs.

Degrees were presented to as many 354 post graduate students, comprising three in DM, 332 in MD/MS and 19 in MPhil in Clinical Psychology and Psychiatric Social Work. Additionally, the ceremony recognised the outstanding achievement of nine students with prestigious medals, acknowledging their exemplary performance and dedication to academic excellence. Among them were four Dr Suman Kochhar Memorial Medal of batches 2017, 2018 , 2019 and 2020, two Dr BS Chavan Memorial Award of batches 2019 and 2020 and three MPhil gold medals.