Painful that some raised concerns when India was battling Covid: Vice President

Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday said that while Bharat (India) when was battling the Covid pandemic, it was painful that some “irritating” voices were raising concerns and not believing in the country’s capabilities.

“While Bharat was tackling the COVID pandemic, I would not reflect more, but it was painful to find some irritating voices raising concern, not believing in our ability, that as a nation we need to escape- it does not help anyone”, said Mr Dhankar. He was addressing the 48th convocation of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi.

“The challenge to humanity has also revealed, to the entire world that we in Bharat are not in isolation. We believe in Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam, not for the sake of it. On one hand the government in a committed manner was taking care of 1.3 billion people. At the same time, the government took to Vaccine Maitree and helped around 100 countries. In such a situation, it is imminently befitting that this is the motto of G-20 of which our Bharat at the moment is the president”, Mr Dhankar added.

Dhankhar further said that he comes from the legal profession and understands what professionalism means. “A slight dilution, slight commercialisation, slight ethical deviation can be bad for those we seek to serve,” he said.

Congratulating the students who took their degrees, Mr Dhankar said, “Congratulations to you, your parents who you have made proud today, and the faculty and staff, which are the spinal strength of an institute.” The Vice President also acknowledged AIIMS’s commitment to create an ecosystem of excellence in healthcare, “It is heartening to see AIIMS forging partnership with other premier institutions like IITs of Delhi, Kharagpur and many other institutions within the country and abroad.”

The Vice President extended his greetings to six retired faculty member, who were conferred the life time Achievement award, and said that their life and work will inspire the students graduating today.

Observing that the convocation was taking place after three years, the vice-president said the gap reminds him of the Covid pandemic. Health workers brought the country out of the crisis through their hard work and sincere efforts, he added.

“We have that skill and human resource. But we have to work a little more to make medicines affordable to the common man. The government has done massive work in this direction,” the vice-president said. Expressing his disapproval of getting too much involved in competitiveness, the vice-president advised the students to pick a career path according to their aptitude. “You will be able to contribute enormously to the country and society,” Dhankhar said. 

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and his junior minister S P Singh Baghel were present on the occasion.