National Medical Commission (NMC) Chairman, Dr Abhijat Chandrakant Sheth, on Saturday highlighted the government’s resolve to increase the number of doctors in our country to meet the standards set by WHO.
At present, the doctor-patient ratio in India stands at 1:1263, closer to its target of one doctor for every 1000 patients nationwide by 2030.
He made these remarks during the 11th convocation ceremony of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Medical Sciences (ABVIMS) and Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in Delhi today.
In his address, Dr Sheth spoke about the ongoing efforts to attain balanced ratios of undergraduate and postgraduate students across the country’s medical institutions. This he claimed would “elevate the quality of India’s healthcare system to the standards of developed countries.”
Other noted dignitaries present during the convocation ceremony included, Dr Sunita Sharma, Director General of Health Services (DGHS) and Dr Vinod Kotwal, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Motivating the graduating students, Dr Sharma said, “You are not merely receiving a degree today; you are shouldering a profound responsibility—to heal, to lead, and to serve the nation in whatever capacity you choose.” Whether pursuing clinical care, medical research, or education, she advised, “Let your work be driven by empathy, evidence, and excellence.”
The message resonated in Dr Kotwal’s words too. “Medicine is not just about curing disease; it’s about caring for the patients who suffer,” she said, urging the students to continue pursuing knowledge, discovery, and service with integrity, compassion, and respect as their guiding principles.
During the ceremony, degrees were presented to 250 Post-graduate and DM students and the first batch of 100 MBBS graduates. The annual report of ABVIMS (Samhita) was also released on the occasion.