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Make rural posting must for fresh doctors: Vice President
New Delhi, April 26 (IANS) Mandatory rural posting for new doctors could be a solution for tackling shortage of medical practitioners in rural areas, said Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu on Thursday.
“A possible solution to address the shortage of doctors in rural areas could be mandatory posting of fresh MBBS graduates in rural areas before granting them their first promotion,” said Naidu inaugurating the 15th World Rural Health Conference here – the first time it is being held in India.
Advocating a collaborative style to meet the shortage of medical personnel and infrastructure in remote areas, he said: “It requires willingness and commitment on the part of doctors and paramedical personnel to serve in rural areas as most prefer to work in urban areas.”
The four-day international conference, with the theme “Healing the Heart of Healthcare – Leaving no one behind”, is being organised by the Academy of Family Physicians of India (AFPI) under the aegis of World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA).
About rural areas lagging behind urban areas in terms of medical services, Naidu said: “I think the time has come for us in India to treat this unhealthy gap in providing preventive and curative medical services in the rural areas on a war footing.”
According to Rural Health Statistics 2016, about 4.6 per cent of functional Primary Health Centres (PHCs) in India are un-electrified. In other words, over 38 million rural households are dependent on health facilities that have no electricity, he said.
“We should also explore how efficiently we can utilize the expertise of AYUSH doctors in strengthening rural health care,” he said and noted that the rural-urban divide in terms of providing effective healthcare services is more pronounced in the low income and developing countries.
On the need for family doctors, he said they provide primary and continuing care to the entire family within the communities addressing physical, psychological and social problems and coordinate full health care services with other specialists.
Rural WONCA chairperson John Wynn said: “Rural health is major concern across the globe and with majority of Indian population being in the rural, their health needs prime focus. The aim of the conference is to aspire for achieving Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.”
AFPI Organising Chairman and National President Raman Kumar said: “Government’s involvement in framing researches and methods for amending the primary health structure will help not only improve health but also in overall development of the country.”
The conference being attended by over a thousand foreign delegates and medical practitioners from 40 countries will conduct workshops on strategies and innovations in primary healthcare, visits to remote areas, rural health ideathon, film making and arts festivals on rural health.
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.