Namaskar! Many wishes to all of you on National Doctors’ Day! Celebrated in the memory of Dr. BC Roy, this day symbolizes the highest ideals of our doctors and medical fraternity. The way our doctors have served the countrymen in the last one-and-a-half years is an example in itself. On behalf of 130 crore countrymen, I thank and express my gratitude to all the doctors of the country.

Friends,

Doctors are said to be another form of God, and it is not without a reason. There may be many people whose lives would have been in danger or would have been the victim of some disease or accident, or sometimes we feel like we will lose someone of our own? But on such occasions, our doctors change the direction of life like an angel and give us a new life.

Friends,

Today when the country is fighting such a big war against Corona, doctors have saved millions of lives by working hard day and night. Many doctors of the country have also laid down their lives while doing this virtuous work.  I pay my humble tribute to all these doctors who laid down their lives and express my condolences to the families.

Friends,

No matter the number of challenges during the fight against Corona, our scientists and doctors found as many solutions anddeveloped effective medicines. Today our doctors are making and helping implement protocols for the corona. This virus is new, new mutations are happening, but our doctors are meeting the dangers and challenges of the virus through their knowledge and experience. You are well aware of the limitations of medical infrastructure in the country for the last so many decades. You are also familiar with how medical infrastructure was neglected in earlier times. The pressure of population in our country makes this challenge even more difficult. Despite this, if we look at the infection per lakh population or the death rate, then India's position has been relatively stable compared to the developed and prosperous countries. No doubt, the untimely end of one life is sad, but India has also saved millions of lives from Corona. Huge credit goes to our hardworking doctors, healthcare workers and frontline workers.

Friends,

It is our government that has put maximum emphasis on health care. During the first wave last year, we allocated about Rs 15,000 crore for healthcare, which helped in augmenting our health infrastructure. This year, the allocation of the budget for the health sector has been more than doubled to more than two lakh crore rupees. Now we have come up with a Credit Guarantee Scheme of Rs 50,000 crore to strengthen the health infrastructure in areas, where there is a lack of health facilities. We have also allocated more than 22,000 crore rupees to strengthen the health infrastructure necessary for children. Today new AIIMS and medical colleges are being established rapidly in the country and modern health infrastructure being developed. While there were only 6 AIIMS in the country till 2014, the work for 15 new AIIMS has started in these seven years. The number of medical colleges has also increased by about one-and-a-half times. As a result, there has been an increase of more than one-and-a-half times in undergraduate and 80 percent in PG seats in such a short span of time. Our youth and children will not have to bear the hardships that you underwent to reach this position. Our youth from remote areas will also get the opportunity to become doctors. Their talents and dreams will get a new flight. In the midst of these changes taking place in the medical sector, the government is also committed to the safety of doctors. In the last year itself, our government has brought in many stringent provisions in the law to prevent violence against doctors. Along with this, we have also come up with the Free Insurance Cover Scheme for our COVID warriors.

Friends,

Be it the country's fight against Corona, or the goal of improving the medical system, all of you have to play an important role. For example, when all of you got vaccinated in the first phase, enthusiasm and confidence about the vaccinesgrew in the country manifold. Similarly, when you ask people to follow the Covidappropriate behaviour, people follow it religiously. I would like you to play this role more actively and expand your scope further.

Friends,

Another good thing we have noticed these days is that people from the medical fraternity have come a long way to spread awareness about Yoga. The work which should have been done after the Independence to propagate Yoga is being done now. Evidence-based studies are being conducted by many institutes associated with modern medical science as to how ‘Yoga-Pranayama’ is having a positive effect on the health of people in this corona period and how Yoga is helping in dealing with post-COVID complications. Many of you are spending a lot of time on this.

Friends,

You know medical science, you are an expert, you are a specialist, and it is naturally easy for an Indian to understand Yoga. When you conduct studies on Yoga, the whole world takes it very seriously. Can IMA take it forward in mission mode?Can it take evidence-based studies on Yoga forward in a scientific way? An effort can also be made that studies on Yoga be published in international journals and publicized. These studies, I am sure, will also encourage doctors across the world to make their patients more aware of Yoga.

Friends,

Nobody can match your hardwork, talent and skill. I would also like to request you to keep documenting your experiences. Documentation of your experiences with patients is very important. Along with this, there should be detailed documentation of the patient's symptoms, treatment plan and response. It can also be in the form of a research study, which notes the effects of different types of drugs and treatments. You are already at the forefront of the world in terms of the sheer number of patients you are serving and caring for. This is also the time to ensure that the world takes cognizance of your work and scientific studies, and the future generation gets its benefits. It will help the world to understand many complex questions related to medicine and will also give direction in finding solutions. This COVID pandemic can be a good starting point for this. Can we do more studies about how are vaccines helping us, how we are getting the benefit of early diagnosis and how a particular treatment is helping us? Not much documentation of the pandemic which came in the last century is available. Today we also have the technology and if we document the practical experiences of how COVID has been dealt with, then it will prove to be very helpful for the entire humanity in the future. Your experience will also give a new impetus to the medical research of the country. In the end, I would say that your service and efforts will definitely realize our resolve of ‘सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः’ (May all be prosperous and happy).  Our country will win from Corona, and will also achieve new dimensions of development. With these best wishes, thank you very much!

DISCLAIMER: This is the approximate translation of PM’s speech. Original speech was delivered in Hindi.

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DS/VK/AK