The National Medical Commission (NMC) Chairman, Dr. Abhijat Sheth, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to expanding the country’s medical workforce to meet the World Health Organisation’s recommended doctor-patient ratio of 1:1000.
Speaking at the 11th convocation of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Medical Sciences (ABVIMS) and Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, Dr. Sheth congratulated graduating students, parents, and faculty for their dedication. He stressed that increasing the number of doctors across the nation is a priority and highlighted the goal of achieving a balanced undergraduate-to-postgraduate ratio of 1:1 to raise India’s healthcare standards closer to global benchmarks.
Dr. Sheth also pointed to reforms being introduced by the NMC and the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences, such as integrating skill-based training and virtual learning with conventional teaching methods, to strengthen competency-based medical education. Encouraging graduates to focus on their own well-being, he urged them to remain resilient and embrace lifelong learning.
Addressing the students, Director General of Health Services (DGHS) Dr. Sunita Sharma reminded them of the weight of their responsibility. “You are not just receiving a degree today, you are stepping into a profound responsibility to heal, to lead, and to serve the nation,” she said. Calling medicine a “noble calling built on compassion,” Dr. Sharma advised the graduates to let empathy, evidence, and excellence guide their work, while staying humble no matter how far their careers take them.