While Karnataka has achieved the World Health Organizations (WHO) mandate 1:1,000 of doctor and people ratio, it needs to focus on improving this to reach 3 to 3.5 doctor per 1,000 population, which is the case in most developed countries, said B.N. Gangadharan, Chairman of National Medical Commission (NMC).
He was speaking at the 26th annual convocation of Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS) on Tuesday.
“Karnataka has reached almost two doctors per thousand population. But we are not yet on a par with the developed countries. There are deficiencies in many other areas. We are far behind in the nurse to population ratio. Therefore, the NMC has decided to conceiving of more nursing colleges in coming days,” he said.
Addressing students, he urged them to uphold the highest standards of ethics, integrity, and professionalism in the profession. “Remember that the trust and confidence of patients will be earned not only through the clinical skills but also through your compassion, empathy, and respect for their dignity and autonomy,” he said.
“I would like to remind you all that our history reveals the common enemies of mankind worldwide are poverty and disease. Healthcare is more than the sum of our knowledge about diseases. Healthcare concerns experiences, feelings, and interpretations of human beings in often extraordinary moments of fear, anxiety, doubts etc. It is healthcare professionals who instill confidence in them during moments of crisis,” he said.
In his address to the gathering, Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot emphasised how people hold doctors as embodiments of both humanity and divinity. Governor also lauded the concerted efforts of the Union and State governments in aligning healthcare provisions with global standards set by the WHO.
G.K. Venkatesh, P.M. Biradar and Pinky Bhatiya Topiwala were conferred with Honorary Doctorate Degree, “Doctor of Science” (Honoris Causa) in the convocation.
A total of 52,650 candidates, from 1,400 colleges, of which 17 have secured Ph.D., 156 students who have completed super-specialty courses, 7,815 students who have completed postgraduate courses, seven students who have completed postgraduate diploma courses, 122 students who have completed fellowship courses, eight students who have completed certificate courses, and 44,525 students who have completed undergraduate degrees were awarded degrees on Tuesday.
