Doctors Earn More Respect as Lifesavers, Says Lokesh
Recalling the Covid-19 pandemic, Lokesh said that when the world retreated indoors, doctors stepped forward, risking their lives and working tirelessly in isolation wards, often away from their families.
Vijayawada:Doctors command the highest moral stature in every civilization not because of their wealth or status, but because they serve as lifesavers to humanity, said Education Minister Nara Lokesh here on Tuesday.
Addressing the convocation ceremony of AIIMS Mangalagiri, Lokesh said every hospital corridor constantly experienced people’s anxiety, fear and pain. “When a patient enters the emergency ward and looks into your eyes with desperation, ask yourself whether they seek just medicine or reassurance and compassion. You do not merely prescribe drugs; you kindle hope in them,” he remarked.
Recalling the Covid-19 pandemic, Lokesh said that when the world retreated indoors, doctors stepped forward, risking their lives and working tirelessly in isolation wards, often away from their families. “That is why society regards doctors being next only to God,” he noted.
Describing the event as more than a graduation, Lokesh called it a moment of transformation. “You entered as students; you leave as guardians of life,” he said, urging graduates to add “trust” as the fourth pillar alongside teaching, research and patient care.
Tracing the growth of AIIMS Mangalagiri since its modest beginnings in 2015, Lokesh said the institute has evolved into a comprehensive centre with over 1,300 students across undergraduate, postgraduate, super-speciality nursing and allied health sciences. From a handful of beds, it has expanded to nearly 650 beds, offering advanced services including open-heart surgeries, kidney transplants, robotic knee replacements, oncology care and Cath lab facilities.
The institute has delivered over 45 lakh lab and diagnostic services so far.
Emphasising that technology and Artificial Intelligence can assist but never replace a doctor’s healing touch, the minister urged graduates to remain lifelong learners, cultivate humility and serve tribal and remote regions with empathy. “Never prescribe with profit in mind. Let humanity guide your profession,” he advised the doctors.
Union minister of state for health, Anupriya Patel, congratulated the graduating students on reaching a significant milestone in their academic and professional journey. She described the occasion as a defining moment, marking the completion of formal education while reaffirming that learning in the medical profession must continue throughout life.
“Medicine is a constantly evolving field. This convocation does not mark the end of learning, but the beginning of a lifelong journey of continuous growth, discovery, and service to humanity,” she stated.
AIIMS Mangalagiri president Major General Tapan Kumar Saha, executive director Antham Shanta Singh, faculty members, graduates and parents were present.
