Good evening all of you,
Distinguished fellows, members, associate members, and distinguished audience. For me, who is basically drawn from a professional field, a legal profession, it is an absolute honour to associate with the 64th Convocation and NAMSCON 2024 and it has a contemporaneously relevant theme “One-Health: Let us Collaborate to Take Care of our Health” I again express my deep sense of gratitude to Padma Bhushan, Dr. Sarin, for making this opportunity available to me.
Friends, when I came here, I had the occasion to go through the list of the fellows, distinguished fellows of this great institution. It is indeed a befitting recognition to be a fellow of NAMS and foremost in this category, we will find a distinguished scientist who adorned the high office of President of India, Dr. A.P.G. Abdul Kalam. From our own state, Rajasthan, we had many in the illustrious category, I would particularly make reference to Dr. K C Gangwal, Dr. S. R. Dharker, Dr. Gautam Shiv Kumar Sharma, and Dr. Shital Raj Mehta. For the simple reason I had the occasion to know them personally and to get benefit out of their counsel.
Distinguished audience, I seek to avail the opportunity to applaud Dr. Siddharth Deo Manav, an alumnus of Saini School, Chittorgarh, my alma mater, who donated his dead body to this institution for study and research.
Friends, just a few months back at Jaipur, at an event organised by Jain social groups(JSC), Central Sansthan Jaipur, and Dadhichi Deh Dan Samiti Delhi. I had indicated that organ donation is the highest moral exemplification of human nature and citizens should make conscious efforts towards it. Organ donation as a tool of exploitation of the vulnerable for commercial gain is despicable and slur on humanity. We need to promote organ donation. It gives life to those who lose hope of life and therefore, I thought it fit to recognise what has been done by Dr. Siddharth Deo Manav.
To the newly inducted fellows, you stand amongst India's medical luminaries. This fellowship, bestowed through meticulous peer review and peer review friends, is the most difficult because it is objective. It is premised on their great experience. They would never want an inclusion of someone who is not really deserving. So, peer review acknowledges your outstanding contributions to biomedical sciences and medical education. Fellows, consider this not your destination, but a milestone in your journey of service to humanity.
I am reminded on this occasion what has been often quoted. “The only constant is the change.” This emanates from a philosopher in Pre-Socratic era, Heraclitus. He buttressed it by an example. “The same person cannot enter the same river twice but neither the person is the same, nor the river is the same.” and therefore, any recognition or fellowship must spur you to keep on learning. Anyone who walks out of an institution must never carry an impression that that is the end of learning. According to me, learning never stops, it is lifelong.
Friends, let us look around our Bharat at the moment in global perspective. There has been exponential economic upsurge. My generation never dreamt of it, never conceived it, never thought it was possible but we are having exponential economic upsurge and phenomenal infrastructure growth in last few years, this has made Bharat, who once was part of fragile five economies, as big five global economies, on way to becoming third largest global economy ahead of Japan and Germany in next year or two. This has generated an atmosphere of hope and possibility in the country.
Our aspirations have taken wings and we have in togetherness, chalked out a programme that our Bharat will be a developed Bharat@2047 but friends, this aspirational object, very ambitious, requires eightfold increase in our per capita income. This takes me to something which is of your interest, this is attainable only with our population being healthy and fit. One may be committed, sincere, earnest, gifted, devoted but if that person is not physically healthy, rather than helping the society at large with the dedication and expertise, he would be seeking help. Therefore, it is essential that everyone in the country remains healthy that is the only password to make our journey fructify into our destination Bharat, a developed Nation at 2047. Health is paramount and priority concern as good health is not only necessary for individuals, not for our pursuits, but for the good health of the society. That broadly is also your theme.
Friends, having good health is directly related to your productivity, as I said. If you are not healthy, your productivity will not be optimal. As a matter of fact, it may nosedive rather than helping others, you might be seeking others' help. हमारे ऋषि-मुनि कह गए हैं, “पहला सुख निरोगी काया They put health as a priority, in precedence to everything else. Health, well-being is fundamental and quintessential to one's contribution to society. Health, friends, is not just absence of illness but a state of holistic well-being.
Our Vedas, our Puranas, our Upanishads are a goldmine of wisdom and knowledge. We need to bestow attention to them. It emanates from them, “प्रसन्न इन्द्रिय, मन, आत्मन:” The harmony between mind, body, and spirit. That is essential for a person to perform and be a complete human being. atharva veda encyclopaedic, when it comes to health treasure, when it comes to health knowledge and there the stress is “आरोग्यम् मूलम् उत्तमम्” Good health is necessary to realise any goal in life. Therefore, when we have this wisdom emanating from our civilisational depth, we must give the attention it deserves.
I would particularly seek to invite attention to a verse in Bhagavad Gita. You would recall the 18 chapters, if you go through them, they contain ultimate sublimity of wisdom. I am referring to verse 16 in chapter 6.
नात्यश्नतस्तु योगोऽस्ति न चैकान्तमनश्नत: |
न चाति स्वप्नशीलस्य जाग्रतो नैव चार्जुन ||
Now mark what it says, moderation in diet, moderation in thinking, recreation and action are key to healthy living. Rollback when it was said and it's a time-tested one. Lord Krishna indicates, eating too much food or starving are two extremes and sleeping too much or remaining awake all the time is not health-friendly. It is here that role of such institutions come into being.
It was foresight of India's Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, that he could secure in the shortest time, the largest support of nations for yoga. When he addressed United Nations General Assembly, we now have International Yoga Day that is celebrated in every nook and corner of the globe. Yoga is not just for that event, it has to be way of life with us and from that perspective, I will again refer to what has been said in our scriptures.
व्यायामात् लभते स्वास्थ्यं दीर्घायुष्यं बलं सुखं।
आरोग्यं परमं भाग्यं स्वास्थ्यं सर्वार्थसाधनम्॥'
व्यायाम से स्वास्थ्य, लम्बी आयु, बल और सुख की प्राप्ति होती है। निरोगी होना परम भाग्य है और स्वास्थ्य से अन्य सभी कार्य सिद्ध होते हैं॥ Exercise leads to health, long life, strength and happiness. Being healthy is the ultimate fortune and all other tasks dear to us, necessary to be accomplished, are only through good health. We need to take note of this and follow this recipe that is time-tested.
Friends, medical professionals serve as guardians and their role is all the more significant in Bharat, that is home to one-sixth of humanity. Your concern must be beyond clinical care. You have to engage in advocacy of good health. You have to become educators and public health advocates while I'm talking about you, crisis response has been remarkable. I had the occasion to see it while being governor of the state of West Bengal, when we faced the pandemic.
Remarkable dedication, missionary zeal, braving all personal difficulties to come to the aid of the people who need it but the challenges are there now in health care. The challenges are commercialisation and ethical dilution is required to be addressed. Health care is a divine contribution, health care is service, health care has to be far distanced from commerce and health care is antithetical to exploitation. By and large, our system is in good health but we can't say as on this date that instances of commercialisation and ethical dilutions are not there.
President had in his brief address, brief for the reason that he wanted to confine to the timeframe, but he was indicating many things that were relevant. NAMS serves a great purpose, it deserves commendation for its vital contribution to India's health care planning. Their evidence-based guidance has significantly shaped national health policies, medical education reforms, and public health strategies. We all know in a country like ours, policy planning is a very tough job, we need to have credible data. We need to have a thought process. We need to get into a situation where experts apply their mind, this body has done something amazingly commendable. The input has come to me from several quarters, Congratulations to this body.
Friends, strategic reforms and digital innovation have transformed India's healthcare landscape but I would say there has been a paradigm shift now. We are witnessing another industrial revolution, disruptive technologies have made inroads in every walk of life, Artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, data analytics, machine learning, blockchain and the kind. These have to find increasing employability in the system and that can be done only when institutions like this are in overdrive mode. I was so happy to notice when the President was indicating how they are having convergence of thought process of leading institutions. That is required.
We must never forget there was a time in ancient Bharat when we had institutions of eminence, Nalanda, Takshashila. People from all over the globe came to this country in search of knowledge, wisdom. In the process, we also gained, they also gained. Time has come when India is on the rise, the rise is unstoppable. We must ensure our institutions get into that eminence category at a global level. That requires a change of mindset which actually has taken place by and large. There was a time we thought anything coming from the West, we need not examine, we have to follow, that is no longer in vogue.
Friends, big changes have taken place in this country. A country at the moment of 1.4 billion people. Ayushman Bharat, PM Jan Arogya Yojana, they provide coverage to virtually everyone up to 5 lakhs, 104 million families. Several countries in the world are struggling by this figure but India is a nation that in recent times has attained what to them is astronomical like 500 million Indians were included in the banking sector. The world's largest exercise, just imagine cooking gas was made available to needy women to the extent of 150 or 170 million free so ours is a country where we have to have an ecosystem that has to operate at a gigantic level and that has been done.
Our Arogya Mandirs are geometrically increasing, we are having more AIIMS, Medical colleges, number of seats for medical education, Paramedical courses, One offshoot of Ayushman Bharat is that there has been much-needed, required growth for Paramedical services that has taken place. In this situation, India's healthcare provides science through its remarkable achievements. We happen to be the only country in the world that COVID vaccine was given to 130 billion citizens with indigenous COVID vaccines earning reputation as the world's pharmacy. We help other nations also and what is more striking, friends, a matter of joy for all of us. The certificate that a person has been vaccinated was never given on paper, It was digital, It was instant. A feat not achieved even by the most developed nation.
Now we are known as pharmacy of the world but time has come for a different shift now. We must engage and strongly champion locally manufactured medical equipment. Let us demolish the myth imported items are superior, not any longer. Through this platform, I will urge Indian industry, business, trade, and commerce to engage into activities of making medical equipment in the country for the nation, also for the world but that will require again some kind of hand-holding by people in the front row here, by people on the dais, your institutions. Indian entrepreneur is known for intrepidity, innovative skills, a genius but someone has to guide him. This is an area which you must navigate. Things will change. Dramatically, I'm confident.
Another aspect, go to any part of the world, the kind of quality medical assistance India gives for value is not available elsewhere. This has made India an attractive destination for people to come here for treatment, this has taken a new shape also, medical tourism. Only, if I give you figures, this year, 7.3 million medical tourists came to this country. It was a preferred destination, why? Because we have a competent human resource, we are supporting infrastructure, we have world-class hospitals in the public sector, in the private sector but we must have more of it.
As India confidently marches towards Viksit Bharat, a marathon march, of which we all are foot soldiers, for that it is required that there must be a robust public-private partnership to take our health infrastructure, equipment and otherwise, to the highest global benchmark. Friends, I strongly advocate and urge that India must pioneer the healthcare technology revolution, embracing, as I said, artificial intelligence, genomics and biotechnology. With modern tools, I indicated, we have engaged in AI diagnostics, telemedicine and robotic surgery becoming essential, and backed by strong government support, our medical sector is poised for unprecedented transformation. I had the good occasion to be present at a hospital in Jaipur where an operation was done by a young surgeon using robotics and the event was watched globally more particularly in developed countries.
Friends, I'm sure you are aware, one of the persons who may be in key position for health sector in one of the very developed countries in 2025 early. He said a sick child is assurance and insurance for money. He is quote, why should we have a sick child? and therefore, our focus should be prevention and precaution, eradication.
It was so soothing to note that the health minister declared yesterday 2025 तक TB का उन्मूलन कंप्लीट हो जाएगा and this country has achieved phenomenally regarding some of the diseases.
I strongly advocate and plead with healthcare experts, please champion preventive wellness education with a special focus on combating and this is something new, this is rampant, this is mushroom growth and this is digital lifestyle. This digital lifestyle is coming with risks that may be existential.
I would urge. It is your ordainment to educate families so that they take care of it right from the beginning. We are having youth engaging into drugs, getting into depression, having mental stress. Mental stress in a country which according to the IMF is a favourite global destination of investment and opportunity. Therefore, they require massive hand-holding. Get them away from their attraction with screen-dominated world. Now, there is another aspect.
Our traditional medicines are known for efficacy, यह जो ट्रेडीशनल मेडिसिन है ईनकी जानकारी हमें किंवदंती से मिली है, हमारी दादी हमारी नानी पढ़ी-लिखी मत होती थी पर उनके पास नुस्खा होता था, गला खराब हो गया, कान में कम सुनता है, थोड़ी चोट लग गयी तो क्या करना है Well, let us adopt it. After all, this country has seen midwives in every village doing a remarkably good job. Therefore, when we have such a rich background, let us monetise it.
The wisdom embedded in these traditional systems is profound and now this is all over the country. People from all over the globe are trotting to this country, to what we say our health resorts, to get yoga treatment. If they don't have an ailment and they wish to get fitter, they go for a course. That being so, let us make this also an important fundamental premise of Indian healthcare system. It must be integrated because it emanates from our heritage.
This requires both research and a fundamental shift in perspective, moving beyond the false dichotomy that equates ancient with backward and western with progress. It still does on some occasions. I have felt it, though it is fast receding but now we have to make the reverse of it. I have seen it when I was a minister in 1990, the global organisations used to tell us your economy is not good, which was not good. You need to manage your affairs well. Now they seek advice from us. They tell world countries, if you want to digitise, India is a role model because it has accomplished in six years, what otherwise is not to be accomplished in four decades plus. That's the advice, that brings a change.
Friends, your dedication to healthcare excellence will not only shape India's future, it will also contribute to the welfare of humanity at large, because Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam we take the world to be one family, one planet, one family, one future. That has been our message to the world. That is why I can share it with you, when I go abroad, I get accolades. Mr. Vice-President, while your country was battling with COVID, we got vaccine from your country. During those challenging times, India supplied vaccines to 100 countries. You are aware of it.
This can happen only in our country, because our country by nature does not believe in expansion of territory or self-greed. We believe in sharing and caring. Once again, my congratulations to all the fellows and members of the National Academy of Medical Sciences.
Distinguished audience. May your pursuit of excellence continue to illuminate paths towards a healthier, more prosperous India. Let us take care of the health of the nation and of the planet.
Thank you so much.
