AIIMS playing vital role in strengthening healthcare, medical education and research in Himachal Pradesh: Kavinder
BILASPUR, Oct 6: The President of India, Droupadi Murmu, today attended the first Convocation of AIIMS Bilaspur, marking a historic milestone for the premier medical institution and for Himachal Pradesh.
On the occasion, Governor of Himachal Pradesh, Kavinder Gupta; Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare and Chemicals and Fertilizers Jagat Prakash Nadda; Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu; Rajya Sabha Member and Member of the AIIMS Bilaspur Institute Body Harsh Mahajan; Chairman of AIIMS Bilaspur Prof. Narendra Kumar Arora; Executive Director Lt. Gen. Daljit Singh; faculty members, graduating students and their proud parents were present.
The President of India, Droupadi Murmu, conferred degrees on the first graduating batch of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Bilaspur at the Institute’s first Convocation, marking a major milestone in the growth of the institution and its contribution to medical education and healthcare in the country.
She congratulated the first batch of graduates and gold medallists, as well as their parents, guardians and teachers. She urged them to uphold the reputation of the institution through their conduct, commitment and service, particularly towards people living in remote and underserved areas.
A total of 92 students received their degrees at the ceremony, including 43 MBBS, 26 BSc Honours Nursing, 9 BSc Allied Healthcare and 14 MD/MS students. The President also presented Gold Medals to meritorious students across disciplines in recognition of their academic performance.
The awardees included Sagarika and Rakshit Vashishth from MBBS, Bhawna Thakral from BSc Allied Healthcare Science, Bhavya Malhotra from BSc Honours Nursing and Prateek Goel from MD, Community & Family Medicine.
Addressing the gathering, Governor Kavinder Gupta congratulated AIIMS Bilaspur on its first Convocation and extended his best wishes to all the graduating students and their parents. He said the presence of the President had added special significance and dignity to this historic occasion.
The Governor expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his visionary leadership and commitment to strengthening healthcare and medical education in Himachal Pradesh.
He said the establishment of AIIMS Bilaspur had provided the State with a premier institution offering advanced healthcare services, medical education and research, benefiting not only the people of Himachal Pradesh but also those from neighbouring States and remote and tribal areas.
Recalling the Prime Minister’s visit to AIIMS Bilaspur on October 5, 2022, when the institute was dedicated to the nation, Kavinder Gupta said that the Prime Minister had highlighted the significant contribution of Himachal Pradesh to national defence and envisioned that, through AIIMS Bilaspur, the State would also make an important contribution towards “saving lives”. He said the first Convocation was a significant milestone in translating this vision into reality.
The Governor said that AIIMS Bilaspur was helping address a long-standing challenge faced by people in the hill State, where serious illnesses often required patients and their families to undertake long journeys to major medical centres outside Himachal Pradesh.
He said the availability of advanced healthcare facilities at Bilaspur was bringing quality treatment closer to the people and reducing the hardships faced by patients and their families.
He also appreciated the faculty members, doctors, officers and staff of AIIMS Bilaspur for their contribution towards developing the institution into a strong centre of medical education, healthcare and research within a short period.
Conveying his best wishes to the graduating students, he reminded them that their degrees carried a responsibility towards society and the nation and urged them to place compassion, sensitivity and service at the centre of their professional journeys.
He expressed confidence that the graduates would use their knowledge and spirit of service to contribute to the nation and said, “I believe that these graduates of AIIMS Bilaspur will make a new identity with their talent, knowledge and spirit of service in various fields across the country and will make an important contribution towards the construction of a Viksit Bharat.”
Speaking on the occasion, Union Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda expressed happiness and pride at witnessing the inaugural batch of AIIMS Bilaspur complete its academic journey. Highlighting the expansion of the AIIMS network under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Minister noted that while the country had only one AIIMS for several decades, 16 new AIIMS had been established in the last 12 years. He urged the graduating students to uphold the reputation of AIIMS Bilaspur and carry its values of excellence and service into their professional journeys.
Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu also extended his best wishes to the graduating students and AIIMS Bilaspur on the occasion.
The Convocation marks a significant step in AIIMS Bilaspur’s institutional journey, as its pioneering batch moves from academic training into professional service. The newly qualified doctors, nurses, allied healthcare professionals and postgraduate specialists will serve patients and contribute to strengthening public healthcare across the country.