The COVID-19 pandemic "tested our endurance" while giving an opportunity to adapt, evolve and innovate and the nation not only beat the odds but also turned them into opportunities, Delhi Lt Governor V K Saxena said Monday.
At the second convocation of the Hindu Rao Medical College, he also called upon medical professionals working in the private sector in Delhi to contribute their own bit by "making the health industry think beyond just exponential profits".
"The last couple of years were unprecedented in terms of the way the world normally functions. The COVID-19 pandemic posed a severe challenge to humankind itself. It tested our endurance. However, this challenge also gave us an opportunity to adapt, evolve and innovate. We can now say with confidence that we not only resiliently beat the odds but also turned them into opportunities to further the boundaries of human ingenuity," Saxena said.
While governments at various levels are doing their best with available resources, the impoverishing impact of health and medical expenses on the common citizen is concerning. Data suggests that four crore people in India slip into poverty each year due to medical expenses, he said.
Various schemes like the Ayushman Bharat, Jan Aushadhi and Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojna are playing an "instrumental role in correcting this anomaly," the LG said. "At the same time, our doctors and other health professionals in the public health infrastructure are playing a yeoman role despite severe constraints and volume of patients.
"I take this opportunity to call upon medical professionals working in the private sector in Delhi to come forward and contribute their own bit," he said.
Saxena also urged the graduating MBBS students to inculcate compassion in their clinical practice and keep learning throughout their careers.