President Droupadi Murmu conferred degrees to 92 students at the first convocation ceremony of AIIMS Bilaspur on October 6, marking a significant milestone in the institute’s academic journey. She urged the graduates to uphold compassion, trust and a strong commitment to public service.
The graduating batch comprises 43 MBBS, 26 BSc (Hons) Nursing, 9 BSc Allied Healthcare and 14 MD/MS students. The President also awarded gold medals to meritorious students from various disciplines for their academic performance.
Addressing the graduates, Murmu urged AIIMS Bilaspur and its alumni to improve access to specialized healthcare in remote and inaccessible areas, particularly through telemedicine, expert consultations, medical training and modern technology. She also emphasized that premier medical institutions should develop affordable healthcare solutions and translate research into innovations that can improve people’s lives.
The President also highlighted the role of Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY in reducing healthcare costs for vulnerable families, with eligible beneficiaries receiving ₹5 lakh health cover per family annually. She stressed the need to take information about such health protection schemes to remote areas and urged institutions like AIIMS to develop affordable and accessible healthcare solutions.
Emphasizing the expansion of medical education in the country, Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda stated that the number of medical colleges has increased from 384 to over 800, while undergraduate medical seats have risen from 51,348 to 1.42 lakh. He added that the government aims to add another 75,000 undergraduate and postgraduate medical seats by 2029.
Speaking about AIIMS Bilaspur, Nadda stated that the institute has expanded to 776 beds, 26 specialties and 15 super-specialties. Over the past four years, the number of OPD consultations has exceeded 12 lakh, while the number of IPD admissions has surpassed 1 lakh.
AIIMS Bilaspur commenced its first MBBS batch in January 2021 and was formally inaugurated in October 2022. With its first batch now entering professional service, President Murmu and other dignitaries urged the graduates to uphold the values of excellence, compassion and service.
(PIB)
