STATE TIMES NEWS
NEW DELHI: Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh, who is also an eminent medical professional and a renowned Diabetologist, said here on Thursday that COVID had brought forth the inherent strengths of Indian medical fraternity.
Speaking after presenting felicitation awards to eminent Corona Warrior Doctors and medical professionals, Dr Jitendra said, it is sometimes difficult to realise how promptly and efficiently the members of the Indian medical fraternity had geared up overnight to meet the sudden challenge posed by COVID.
The laudable outcomes are evident from the fact that today India’s effective management of the pandemic is being cited as an example even in those countries which are believed to be better updated in medical facilities and bestowed with better resources, he said. Paying homage to the medical professionals who had lost their lives in the line of duty while serving the COVID patients, Dr. Jitendra said, a doctor is often looked up as a demi-God and it is assumed that he can never succumb to any disease but the truth is that the medical professionals who were attending to COVID patients understood the risk and professional hazard involved but did not shirk from their duty. He was particularly appreciative of the services rendered by young Resident Doctors, especially female Resident Doctors, who not only risked their lives but also had to make alternative arrangements for the care of their infant children. Dr. Singh said, preempted decisions taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi including the early lockdown had not only given the medical fraternity time to reorient itself but had also helped the citizens to train themselves for the new norms to be practised during the pandemic.
Living up to Prime Minister’s mantra of “Atma Nirbhar Bharat”, India not only achieved self-sufficiency in PPE kits and other equipment but also became one of the first countries in the world to roll out the Vaccination programme, he said.
Referring to the Ayushman Bharat scheme, Dr Jitendra described it as the first – of – its – kind health insurance scheme in the entire world. He complimented the Jammu & Kashmir government for being the first in the country to initiate universal health insurance cover for each of its citizens.
The medical professionals awarded on the occasion included Dr. Randeep Guleria, Director AIIMS, New Delhi and Head of Department of Pulmonary Medicine, who was conferred with a Lifetime Achievement Award. The citation included a documentary profile of each of the awardees.