Bilaspur, Oct 6 (IANS): President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday stressed the need to provide quality healthcare at an affordable cost and expressed concern over the rising cost of medicines and medical equipment, saying it poses a serious challenge for patients and their families.
Presiding over the first convocation of AIIMS Bilaspur, the President said the primary objective of the medical profession should be service to humanity.
She noted that a patient approaching a doctor carries not only the fear and uncertainty associated with illness but also hope.
The President said that while medical knowledge and skills help treat a patient, empathy and compassionate behaviour provide courage and reassurance.
She urged doctors to combine sensitivity and compassion with professional excellence.
Droupadi Murmu said that quality healthcare at an affordable cost is the hallmark of AIIMS institutions.
She observed that, for people across the country, AIIMS represents access to treatment by some of the nation’s most competent doctors.
The President noted that several AIIMS institutions have been established across different parts of India to extend this trust to a larger population and to provide more meritorious students with access to high-quality medical education.
She said AIIMS Bilaspur carries a special responsibility because of its geographical location.
Providing timely and quality healthcare to people living in remote areas of Himachal Pradesh, she said, is a complex challenge.
The President emphasised that AIIMS Bilaspur should emerge as a premier centre for advanced tertiary healthcare.
She highlighted the need to strengthen healthcare services in hilly regions through telemedicine, specialist consultations for remote areas, training of medical personnel and the use of advanced technologies.
Murmu said that the cost of treatment for serious illnesses imposes a significant financial burden on ordinary families.
She noted that, to reduce this hardship for vulnerable sections of society, the Government of India provides health insurance coverage of up to Rs 5 lakh per family annually under the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana.
--IANS
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