Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah, addressed the national conference IMA NATCON 2025 organized by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) in Ahmedabad, Gujarat today. On this occasion, several dignitaries were present, including the Chief Minister of Gujarat, Shri Bhupendra Patel.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah, said that when any institution completes 100 years, it leaves behind a very long and significant history. A centenary year is also extremely important for addressing the challenges faced by any institution. He said that the achievements attained through the IMA in serving the people in the country’s health sector should be highlighted over the course of a year and taken to every section of society, as this is the best way to instill the spirit of service, sense of duty, and accomplishments in the public consciousness. At the same time, this is also the right moment to keep pace with the times by adapting to the changes that have taken place in this field, from Registered Medical Practitioners (RMPs) to specialization.

Shri Amit Shah said that the health sector is essentially a field of service. When a person who is seriously ill goes to a doctor, he sees God in the very doctor who treats him. He said that the dimensions and scope of ethics framed 100 years ago have now become irrelevant. On the completion of 100 years, there is now a need to reconsider the dimensions of ethical values in the health sector. He urged the representatives of the IMA to constitute a team to redefine the ethics of this field and align them with present-day requirements. Shri Shah said that merely acquiring a medical education does not make one a successful doctor; rather, all the dimensions of ethics in this field should also be an integral part of medical education, and this responsibility lies with the IMA. He said that ethics cannot be imposed, nor can they be enforced through any law, because this is a moral subject. Union Home Minister said that if the IMA redefines all the dimensions of ethics and suggests to the Government of India that they be made a part of the medical curriculum, it will lead to an increase in the number of doctors in the coming days who regard service as a sacred duty, which is greatly needed today. He added that if this is achieved, the respect and trust that have been built in the minds of the public due to a century of dedicated service will endure for many centuries to come.

Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah said that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has placed before all citizens the resolve to build a Viksit Bharat, so that when the country celebrates 100 years of its independence in 2047, there should not be a single sector in which India does not rank first in the world. He said that to achieve this goal, it is necessary to create a healthy demographic of every kind—whether mental or physical, or in terms of energy and enthusiasm—and doctors will have a very important role to play in this effort. He said, the Modi government is committed to build a strong health ecosystem in a Viksit Bharat, and doctors will play a decisive role in this. He said that with this objective, a major health ecosystem has been developed with a holistic approach during the period from 2014 to 2025. Shri Shah stated that the first step in this direction was the launch of the Swachhata Mission to construct toilets in every household. He said that this campaign has a deep connection with health, as cleanliness in cities, villages, and towns helps prevent the spread of many diseases.He further said that the government subsequently launched the Fit India MovementandKhelo India, and began celebrating International Yoga Day. As a result, the number of people who have made yoga a part of their lives has increased by 40 percent.

Shri Amit Shah said that the Ayushman Bharat Mission, which is directly linked to the health sector, is being implemented under which free treatment of up to ₹5 lakh has been provided to the poor across India, and due to additional schemes of some states, free treatment of up to ₹15 lakh is being provided in about 70 percent of the country. He said that the Ayushman Bharat Mission has brought about a qualitative transformation in India’s health sector.Through Mission Indradhanush, the Government of India launched an immunization campaign that has helped protect children from various diseases from their early years. He said that ₹1.65 lakh crore has been invested in strengthening the infrastructure of Community Health Centres (CHCs) and Primary Health Centres (PHCs). A large network of affordable generic medicines was also launched, and insurance was made cheaper by removing GST.He said that the number of medical seats has increased from 51 thousand to 1 lakh 30 thousand meaning that a very large number of doctors are now being trained every year. He added that the expansion of AIIMS is ongoing, and soon a programme will be launched to provide consultations from AIIMS to PHCs and CHCs through telemedicine and videography.

Home Minister said that in 2013–14, the Centre’s health budget was only ₹37 thousandcrore, whereas today it has increased to ₹1.28 lakh crore—an increase of 102 percent—and that the schemes have not remained on paper but have been implemented on the ground. He said that 1.81 lakh Ayushman Bharat Health Centres have proved to be a boon for the poor.Ayushman Bharat, Mission Indradhanush, a 97 per cent reduction in malaria, more than 90 per cent improvement in kala-azar, a reduction in dengue mortality to 1per cent, a 25 per cent decline in the maternal mortality rate, a 20 per cent increase in institutional deliveries, and the halving of the infant mortality rate—all this has been possible because the schemes have not merely been announced but effectively implemented. Shri Shah said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, not only is infrastructure being expanded, but unprecedented improvements are also being brought about in the health of citizens. He said that all the hard work being done must be fully aligned with this strong infrastructure, these schemes, and individual efforts, only then will real and significant results be achieved.

Union Home Minister asked whether the IMA could devise a scheme to promote doctors engaged in research and submit it to the Government of India. He also asked whether the IMA could take steps to make maximum use of the services of existing doctors through video conferencing and telemedicine. He said that the role of the IMA should be to further strengthen and make the country’s health infrastructure more robust and resilient. The time has come to re-examine the scope of our contributions and work to determine how to take the country forward. Shri Shah said that it should be deliberated upon what the role of the IMA should be if the country is to be guided towards affordable, accessible, and quality healthcare. He said that if any organization has made the greatest contribution in the field of service, it is the IMA. This can be a matter of pride for us, but not of complacency, because much still remains to be done. The IMA should reflect on this.

Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah said that the IMA must now move forward in line with the country’s current needs. For this, the focus must shift from illnesstowellness as the core concept. Along with medicines, greater emphasis should be placed on providing advice and guidance for a healthy lifestyle. New doctors should be encouraged in this direction. He said that the importance of Ayushman Bharat and generic medicine stores should not be underestimated.

Shri Amit Shah said that he holds in heartfelt respect the service rendered by doctors to poor patients in this country from the pre-Independence period to the present day. He said that through the IMA, doctors have made an unprecedented contribution over the past 100 years in serving the sick and increasing life expectancy. This proud 100-year journey should be properly documented and publicized at the rural, tehsil, city, and metropolitan levels. This will further strengthen people’s trust in doctors. At the same time, the IMA should also redefine its role and its ethics.

Union Home Minister said that during the COVID-19 crisis, the doctors of the country did highly commendable work. He said that the Ministry of Home Affairs was closely monitoring the efforts to deal with the COVID pandemic. At that time, not a single doctor turned away from his or her duty, and they served the people without worrying about their own health. He said that perhaps nowhere else in the world would people find such an example, where every doctor stood united, caring only for patients and upholding the sanctity of the doctor–patient relationship without concern for their own well-being. Shri Shah said that those who understand the science of social life know that this is a very great asset for the country. He added that millions of doctors, despite being engaged in their private practice, meticulously followed every directive of the government during that period.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that several important initiatives were undertaken in the country during the COVID crisis, in which the IMA extended significant cooperation, especially in vaccination. In the year 2022 alone, more than 2,500 blood donation camps were organized. The problem of prenatal sex determination was substantially reduced by the IMA by strengthening ethical standards. During the COVID period, more than 2 million calls were received on helplines, through which assistance was provided to people.

Shri Amit Shah said that today, more than 5,000 IMA representatives from 27 states are participating in this conference, and the new president of the organization has been elected. He expressed confidence that during the tenure of the new president, the IMA would gain renewed energy and momentum.

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RK/PR/PS