Vice President Venkaiah Naidu calls for mandatory rural service for doctors before first promotion

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday said that serving in rural areas should be made mandatory before granting the first promotion to doctors in the government sector.

Speaking at the 11th annual Medical Teachers' Day Awards function here, the Vice President said three to five years service in rural areas for young doctors was essential while pointing out that 60 per cent of the country's population lives in the villages, an official release said. "It (serving in rural area) must be made mandatory. I know that it will not be liked by many. But, I feel that is the need," Naidu said.

The Vice President stressed the need to increase the number of medical colleges while referring to the government's efforts to bridge the gap in doctor-patient ratio in the country. He said the doctor-patient ratio was 1:1,456 as against the WHO norm of 1:1,000.

Expressing his appreciation at the government's plan to establish at least one medical college in each district, he also pointed out that the urban-rural ratio of doctors was also highly skewed with more medical professionals opting to work in urban areas.

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Describing the medical profession as a noble mission, he advised doctors not to give any remission or commit omission, but to serve the nation with passion.

Asking the doctors to remember the core value of compassion for humanity in all their actions, he said "let that be your moral compass when in dilemma and always adhere to the highest level of ethics. If you can serve with a spirit of selfless dedication, you derive boundless and real happiness."

Calling for creating state-of-the-art health infrastructure across the country, particularly in rural areas, the Vice President said the Covid-19 pandemic has accentuated the need for better health infrastructure and advised the state governments to bestow special attention on this aspect.

Naidu further emphasised that both medical education and treatment should be affordable and within the reach of the common man. He said that top priority should be accorded to education and health sectors with a greater allocation of budget.

Referring to the fast-changing technological world, the Vice President urged medical colleges to ensure that those passing out of their portals stay abreast of the latest diagnostic and treatment systems. "This has become all the more imperative in the wake of the pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 as everything about the novel coronavirus is new learning to all—from scientists to doctors," he said.

Naidu also expressed his appreciation to the Association of National Board Accredited Institutions (ANBAI), an apex organisation of many leading hospitals and medical institutions in India for partnering with the Government in providing post-graduate medical education, the release said.

The Vice President also paid his homage to the former President and statesman-philosopher, the late Shri Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan on his birth anniversary on Sunday.

He also paid his respects to all his teachers, who mould and shaped his career. Earlier, he presented the Life-Time Achievement Award to well-known cardiologist and President of Public Health Foundation of India, Dr K Srinath Reddy and others including Dr Devi Shetty, the release added.