Governor and Chancellor of Dr.NTR University of Health Sciences (NTRUHS) Biswa Bhusan Harichandan virtually presided over the 24th and 25th convocations of the university held here on Friday.
Delivering the convocation address, the Governor said the demand for higher education was increasing day by day and its most important mission was to create intellectuals by providing world-class education.
Dr. G. Subrahmanyam, research director and cardiologist at Sri Padmavathi Multispecialty Hospital in Tirupati and former vice-chancellor of Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences (SVIMS), who participated as the chief guest, was conferred the honorary doctorate by NTRUHS Vice-Chancellor Dr. P. Shyam Prasad.
Healthcare in villages
Giving the key note address, Dr. Subramanyam said the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended one doctor for 1,000 people and India was about to meet the WHO standards. In India, 70% of the people were living in rural areas whereas about 70% of the doctors were practising in urban areas, he said and opined that super-specialty healthcare facilities in villages need to be improved in the country.
Mr. Harichandan said that education played a vital role in the nation’s development and constituted the backbone of a country, as it would produce a strong human force. Higher education was considered an important instrument for achieving socio-economic and technological progress.
The country could develop only when its citizens were dynamic, resourceful and enterprising, the Governor said and congratulated the graduating students, winners of gold medals and their parents, faculty members and the administrative staff on the occasion.
Earlier, Dr. Shyam Prasad presented the annual reports of the university. He said NTRUHS, which was established by the then Chief Minister Dr. Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao, completed 36 years. It was offering UG, PG and superspeciality courses in allopathic medicine, dentistry, AYUSH, nursing, physiotherapy and paramedical courses and undertook various research activities.
“To enhance the research knowledge of the faculty working in the affiliated colleges, the university has decided to introduce a faculty research programme offering ₹2 lakh financial assistance for 25 eligible faculty members,” the Dr. Prasad said.
R.P. Sisodia, Special Chief Secretary to the Governor, P.S. Surya Prakash Rao, Joint Secretary to the Governor and others took part.
