NITI Aayog member calls for more general practitioners, lauds new antibiotic policy
Challenges of antimicrobial resistance and scarcity of general practitioners in the country were the highlights of remarks that Dr VK Paul, NITI Aayog’s member (Health) made at the convocation ceremony of Lady Hardinge Medical College and Hospital (LHMC) here on Thursday.
Dr Paul, known for steering India’s Covid-19 policy response, focused attention of the gathering on the gradual decline of family medicine tradition in the country.
“We have lost the tradition of general practice and family medicine; 30 per cent of the medical workforce should be general practitioners,” Paul said as Lady Hardinge Medical College (LHMC) celebrated its convocation day, honouring its graduating batch with a call to uphold ethical standards and serve the underprivileged.
The ceremony hosted Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel as the chief guest and Paul as the guest of honour.
Over 600 degrees students received their MBBS, MD, MS, MDS and DM/MCh degrees during the convocation ceremony. The annual report of Lady Hardinge Medical College for 2024 and Antibiotics Policy of LHMC was also launched at the event.
On the Antibiotics Policy launch, Paul said, “This is a significant achievement, especially considering the challenge of achieving consensus across departments.”
The expert added that with the graded authority to prescribe antibiotics, doctors could ensure more rational, responsible and effective usage. India has one of the world’s highest antimicrobial resistance rates. In 2019 alone, nearly 300,000 people in the country died from AMR-related infections.
In her address, MoS Patel spoke about the government’s commitment to upgrading LHMC’s infrastructure and commended the graduating batch for their service during the COVID-19 pandemic.
She emphasised India’s vision to become a developed nation by 2047, stating, “A healthy nation is the foundation of a developed nation.”
Patel highlighted the transformation in India’s healthcare landscape over the past 11 years, driven by the National Health Policy, a health Budget nearing 2 per cent of the GDP, and initiatives such as Ayushman Bharat, which provides Rs 5 lakh health coverage to 55 crore citizens.
Dr Sunita Sharma, DGHS, who also spoke at the event, outlined five keys to success — character, conviction, commitment, courage, and courtesy —while Dr Sarita Beri, director, LHMC, noted the institution’s annual intake of 240 MBBS and 181 PG students.
The Lady Hardinge Medical College for women was founded in 1914. It became part of the Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Delhi, in 1950. The college is governed and funded by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Delhi