Vijayawada, Oct 26 Vice President C P Radhakrishnan on Monday called on medical students here to identify pressing global health challenges and develop solutions for them.
Addressing the 40th anniversary or Ruby Jubilee of Dr NTR University of Health Sciences in Vijayawada, the Vice President expressed his desire to see a student from the varsity win a Nobel Prize.
“You should become not only (a) research student; you should become not only (a) scientist, you should find out…health problems of humanity and find a solution to it. The day should come (when) someone from our NTR University should get the Nobel Prize, that is my wish,” said Radhakrishnan.
Stressing the need for students to get exposure to deep research, the Vice President (VP) said technology must serve as an instrument for human welfare.
He said applying technology to medicine must be guided by scientific validation, patient safety, data privacy and ethical responsibility.
According to the VP, technological advancement can never replace the comparison, judgement and the human connection that lie at the heart of the doctor – patient relationship.
Radhakrishnan reminded students that behind every medical record is a human being.
Further, the VP paid rich tributes to N T Rama Rao (NTR), former CM of united Andhra Pradesh, after whom the medical varsity was named.
He highlighted NTR’s generosity in solving Chennai’s drinking water crisis by supplying water to the city, where he had lived for a long time.
As the Dr NTR University of Health Sciences is entering its 50th year, the VP encouraged the institution to strengthen research, interdisciplinary collaboration, foster innovation and deepen commitment to public health.
By bringing diverse health-related disciplines under one academic umbrella, the university has strengthened the foundation of healthcare education, said the VP.
It promoted systematic development of professional training for healthcare professionals, he said.
Over the past four decades, the university has played an important role in the development of health sciences education in Andhra Pradesh, said Radhakrishnan.
He urged doctors and the public to create awareness against drug abuse.
The VP expressed confidence in India’s journey towards becoming ‘Viksit Bharat’ by 2047.
Calling it the “great vision” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the VP said the former has articulated it very clearly.
He said every state, every district and every village should achieve inclusive development.
Medical education has witnessed tremendous expansion in the last 12 years under PM Modi, he said, adding that the number of medical colleges has more than doubled from 387 before 2014 to 846 today.
Further, the number of MBBS seats have increased from 51,000 to over 1.4 lakh in 12 years, he said.
Similarly, the VP noted that the number of postgraduate medical seats have increased from 31,000 to over 86,000.
India now offers over 2.25 lakh undergraduate and post-graduate medical seats, Radhakrishnan added.
(PTI News)
