Doctors must serve in rural areas as serving in rural areas provides immense value addition to ones clinical experience apart from the sense of satisfaction derived from fulfilling a social obligation. This was the message of Union Health and Family Welfare Minister and PGIMER President Ghulam Nabi Azad to the students who received their degree and medals at the 32nd PGIMER convocation today. Addressing the students,faculty members,deans and former directors,Azad said,The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has sanctioned a National Institute of Paramedical Sciences at Delhi and eight Regional Institutes of Excellence at Chandigarh,Lucknow,Bhopal,Hyderabad,Coimbatore,Bhubaneswar,Patna and Aurangabad. PGI Director Prof Y K Chawla said,As part of our next 10-year plan,the Institute is now ready with a Vision 2020 document wherein not only would we modernise Nehru Hospital and research blocks of the Institute but also improve patient care,medical education and medical research. The plan for the next 10 years includes decongestion of the Emergency wing,setting up of various centres of excellence,state-of-the-art operation theatres,and exploring the pathogenesis of various diseases at the molecular level. In addition to liver,kidney and bone marrow transplantation,a facility of multi-organ transplantation including lungs,heart,pancreas and intestine will be added. Stem cell research is exploring new horizons and we may soon have an answer to treating various diseases through various ongoing stem cell projects. Prof Chawla informed the audience about the recent achievements of the Institute. PGI is now equipped with state-of-the-art facilities like a Cellonics Laboratory,Interventional Pulmonology Services,a new and expanded Hemodialysis Unit with 25 dialysis stations,Advanced Trauma Centre and Advanced Facility for Small Animal Research. A state-of-the-art Viral Diagnostic Laboratory of Grade 1,the largest in the country,with ICMR support is being established and a Nucleic Acid Testing Laboratory for screening Transfusion Transmitted Viral Infections is the first of its kind in this region. A High Energy Linear Accelerator for treating cancer is being established,the only of its kind in the country. Today 382 students were awarded degrees,wherein PhDs were awarded to 28 students; DM (medical super-specialties) of Cardiology,Clinical Pharmacology Endocrinology,Gastroenterology,Pulmonary Medicine,Nephrology,Neurology & Neonatology to 42; MCh (surgical super-specialties) of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery,Neurosurgery,Plastic Surgery,Paediatric Surgery,Surgical Gastroenterology,Urology to 39; MD in the medical specialities of Anaesthesia,Biochemistry,Community Medicine,Dermatology,Medicine,Microbiology,Nuclear Medicine,Gynaecology,Paediatrics,Pathology,Psychiatry,Pharmacology,Radiodiagnosis,Radiotherapy & Transfusion Medicine to 161; MS in the surgical specialties of Otorhinolaryngology,orthopedic surgery,ophthalmology & surgery to 57; MHA (Master of Hospital Administration) to four; MPH (Master of Public Health) to five; MSc in Pharmacology,Biochemistry,Medical Biotechnology,Speech & Hearing & Medical Technology to 14 and BSc. in para-medical courses to 32. The president of the Institute also awarded gold,silver and bronze Medals for outstanding research and academic excellence to the students
