“Over its 68 years of existence, AIIMS has truly lived up to its reputation as the premier healthcare institution of the country. Today even a child in any village of India have heard the name of AIIMS.” This was stated by Prof S P Singh Baghel, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare as he presided over the 68^th Foundation Day celebrations of All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi in the presence of Dr. V K Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog, here today.

Prof Baghel expressed happiness that for the sixth consecutive year, AIIMS New Delhi has been ranked as number one among medical institutions as per National Institute Ranking Framework (NIRF) issued by the Ministry of Education, Government of India. He stated that AIIMS has already become a brand today with its reputation spread across the country. He encouraged the AIIMS officials to maintain this image and take the brand of AIIMS to greater heights.

The Union Health Minister stated that India today can be comparable to any developed country in healthcare because of its highly trained human resources. He said that Indians comprise a high percentage of doctors even in developed countries while the country is already known for its vaccine manufacturing capabilities, its pharma industries and its innovations in the medtech sector. He also stated that under the leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, India is promoting holistic healthcare with emphasis on preventive care.

Prof. S P Singh Baghel visited the exhibition organized at AIIMS on the theme “AIIMS: Leading India’s Health Care Security” and awarded the students for their achievements and contribution. He also encouraged the students at AIIMS to work hard and urged them to always remember their responsibilities.

Dr. V K Paul delivered the Diamond Jubilee Oration on the occasion. He reflected on India’s COVID-19 Vaccination Journey which he called a story of “Atmanirbharta” and “Atmavishwas”. He highlighted India’s success in manufacturing both indigenous vaccines and foreign vaccines under technology transfer, at scale.

Dr. Paul emphasized on India’s mammoth COVID-19 vaccination strategy including administration, logistics, communication strategy and the roll-out journey. He pointed out that 98% of India’s vaccine administration were done free of cost through India’s public health system.

Dr Paul highlighted the need for nurturing India’s pharma, medical and medtech sectors for ensuring India’s competitive advantage in these fields in the years ahead.

Prof. M Srinivas, Director, AIIMS New Delhi; Prof. Minu Bajpai, Dean, AIIMS New Delhi and Prof Girija Prasad Rath, Registrar, AIIMS New Delhi were present on the occasion.

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HFW/MoS- AIIMS 68^th Foundation Day/25^th September2023/1