Medicos urged to serve the impoverished

Need for quality healthcare and environment-friendly practices highlighted at college event

Delivery of quality healthcare to the poorer and economically deprived sections of society was the need of the hour, said Jagdish Prasad, Director General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, on Saturday.

Dr. Prasad was delivering the convocation address of the Tamil Nadu Dr. MGR Medical University.

“It is frequently observed that patients from the poorest segments of our society have to spend large sums of money while undergoing treatment in healthcare institutions in the private sector. In the process, they incur tremendous financial and property losses,” he said, urging students to not shy away from serving the impoverished sections of the population.

Dr. Prasad also highlighted the growing levels of environmental pollution and the necessity for inculcation of environment-friendly practices and interventions for a pollution-free environment.

He stressed the need for adherence to medical ethics, the judicious use of clinical resources and the necessity of talent to join research and development organisations in the country to further national healthcare goals.

“The erstwhile trend of migration to the west for wider opportunities has now decelerated significantly. More and more young medical graduates should be able to pursue quality goals in their career while staying back in India,” he said.

A total of 20,489 candidates were awarded degrees and diplomas under the faculties of medical, dental, AYUSH and allied health sciences. Of these, 73 per cent were women.

Vice-Chancellor S. Geethalakshmi spoke of the university’s achievements, including its focus on research and plans to set up an anti microbial lab by the department of experimental medicine. Speaking on the sidelines of the event, Dr. Prasad praised the State for its record in organ transplantation.

State Health Minister C. Vijaya Baskar and Health Secretary J. Radhakrishnan also participated.