The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee attended the Convocation of Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi Memorial (GSVM) Medical College today (May 10, 2013) at Kanpur.
Speaking on the occasion, the President said that health is an important indicator of any country’s progress. Unless citizens enjoy good health, their productive potential cannot be unleashed fully. Availability, quality and affordability are the three cornerstones of a sound healthcare system. He stated that for universal health coverage, affordability is crucial. Expensive medical treatment can be burdensome for people, especially for the poor. High costs effectively deny many people of specialty medical treatment. He said that this scenario should be rectified by strengthening the health insurance mechanism.
The President said that our health coverage strategy should look beyond medical cure and intervention. Preventive healthcare is relevant in a country like India where lifestyle diseases have shown a rising trend. Our health system must, therefore, be equipped to not only treat people but also guide them about prevention of these medical conditions. Hygiene and sanitation also play a critical role in preventing diseases. To ensure that efforts in this direction are effective, we must encourage the active participation of local participatory bodies, he stated.
The President called upon the medical college to build in the minds of the young doctors a strong sense of patriotism and social responsibility. He said that the urge for our young doctors to undergo higher studies in premier institutions abroad to acquire greater expertise and widen their horizon is easily understandable. But they should retain the sacred link with their own motherland. We must find ways to enable such meritorious and qualified doctors to contribute to national welfare, he added.
This release issued at 1915 hrs