Visakhapatnam: Need for equity in healthcare stressed

Visakhapatnam: GITAM Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (GIMSR) graduation ceremony for 2017-18 batch MBBS students was held on GITAM campus here on Monday. The Public Health Foundation of India president Sanjay Zodpey attended as chief guest and addressed the graduates. He said that despite progress made in improving access to health care, inequalities by socioeconomic status, geography and gender continue to persist in the country, managing the health of 1.3 billion people is complex, but there is much one can do to change the lack of healthcare equity in India. He urged health experts to emerge as leaders in their own specialty.

GITAM president M Sribharath congratulated the students who made their parents proud by becoming doctors. He emphasised the mission and vision of the institution in reaching out to the unreached and achieving excellence in providing training in healthcare to the budding medicos. He highlighted that graduation is just the end of another beginning. Vice-Chancellor Dayananda Siddavattam briefed about the importance of interdisciplinary research in the health sector and advised the students to participate in new drug discovery projects.

GIMSR Pro-Vice Chancellor B Geetanjali presided over the function and congratulated the graduates. Dean S.P. Rao said the institution is built on the ideology of giving greater service to patients at an affordable cost. GIMSR Medical College Principal I Jyothi Padmaja highlighted various accomplishments of the students, faculty, and staff of the institution and various advanced teaching and research initiatives that have been implemented at the institution.

The graduates, who completed their MBBS, received their certificates at the event. Registrar D. Gunasekharan, hospital superintendent VVL Narasimha Rao, GIMSR Vice-Principal M. Harini and others participated in the programme.