Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu on July 8 said the young doctors should first serve in rural areas before getting their first promotion and urged medical professionals to be empathetic towards patients while providing treatment.

Delivering the 30th Convocation Address of the Tamil Nadu Dr MGR Medical University here, he said the quality of education in medical colleges was the life blood of India’s healthy future and wanted the medical professionals to be empathetic towards patients while giving treatment.

Observing that quality of healthcare depends mainly on the quality of health care professionals, he asked the medical professionals and doctors to have deep understanding and empathy. 'Young doctors must work in rural areas before getting their first promotion', he added. The Vice-President said doctors have a number of emerging opportunities in the present Indian context and advised them to be agile to adopt and adapt the best global practices for the benefit of the populace.

While the world was moving towards more and better medical equipments, including robotic surgery and the governments as well as philanthropists are setting up medical colleges and hospitals, the system could not function without doctors and para-medics. 'The healing touch can be only through human interface. The deep understanding and empathy with which you administer medicines and render advice makes all the difference', Mr Venkaiah Naidu said, adding, the quality of healthcare depends mainly on the quality of health care professionals.

He also said Tamil Nadu has been one of the leading states in the country in providing health care to its people.
Mr Venkaiah said India has, according to the latest data, 479 medical colleges, of which 227 were being run by government and 252 in private sector with annual admission capacity of 67,532 MBBS and 31,415 post- graduate students per year. Besides, there were 6,848 DNB seats which were equivalent to MD/MS.

'While the system is expanding and the government as well as the private sector is focusing on increasing the number of medical colleges, the essential question that we need to ask ourselves is about the quality of medical education', he said. Noting that medical professionals were different as compared to other professionals as they were looked upon as demi-gods by people because they make a difference between the life and death of patients, the Vice-President said the society in India has had a reverential attitude towards doctors and this respect was born out of the competence of the medical fraternity and the belief that doctors advice comes from a pure, objective concern for the well being of the patient.

'This competence and the ability to render honest medical advice are at the heart of good, ethical medical practice. Under any circumstances, you must not serve away from the path of dedicated, focused attention to patient welfare', he added.