Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu has said that serving in rural areas should be made mandatory for doctors in the government sector before they are awarded their first promotion.
Speaking at the 11th annual Medical Teachers’ Day awards function here on Sunday, the Vice-President said that three to five years of service in rural areas for young doctors was essential as 60% of the country’s population lived in villages.
Asking 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”.
Mr Naidu 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 doctor-patient ratio was 1:1456 as against the WHO norm of 1:1000.
The Vice-President paid homage to former President and statesman-philosopher Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan on his birth anniversary (September 5). Earlier, he presented the Lifetime Achievement Award to well-known cardiologist and President of Public Health Foundation of India, K. Srinath Reddy and others, including Dr. Devi Shetty.
Telangana Home Minister Mohammed Mahmood Ali and president of National Board of Examinations Alexander Thomas were present.
