Bhubaneswar: AIIMS Bhubaneswar on Saturday celebrated its 6th Convocation Ceremony, with Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare and Chemicals and Fertilizers Anupriya Patel urging graduating medical professionals to uphold compassion, ethics and patient-centric care while serving society.
Addressing the graduating students as the chief guest, Patel said the white coat symbolises trust, responsibility, commitment and privilege, and encouraged them to wear it with confidence and compassion. She said doctors graduating from AIIMS carry a distinctive identity as “Doctor+” because of the exceptional exposure they receive through world-class infrastructure, advanced medical facilities, research opportunities, expert mentorship and the values of empathy instilled during their training.
Highlighting the transformation of India’s healthcare sector, the Union Minister said the number of AIIMS institutions in the country has increased from seven to 23, significantly strengthening access to quality medical education and healthcare services. She also outlined the Centre’s efforts to make healthcare more accessible and affordable through the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana.
Patel said the growing burden of non-communicable diseases requires healthcare professionals to focus equally on prevention and early detection. She noted that 1.84 lakh Ayushman Aarogya Mandirs have been established across the country to provide comprehensive primary healthcare services and highlighted the world’s largest population-based screening programme under which individuals aged 30 years and above are being screened for diabetes, hypertension, oral cancer, breast cancer and cervical cancer.
She also underlined the role of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission in driving digital transformation in healthcare and said India now has 820 medical colleges, around 1.29 lakh undergraduate medical seats and nearly 85,000 postgraduate seats, reflecting the rapid expansion of medical education infrastructure.
Patel praised AIIMS Bhubaneswar for its contributions to medical education, research and patient care, expressing confidence that the graduating students would strengthen India’s healthcare system.
Odisha Health Minister Mukesh Mahaling, who attended the ceremony as the guest of honour, commended AIIMS Bhubaneswar for its significant role in strengthening healthcare delivery in Odisha and eastern India. He appreciated the institute’s contributions to specialised healthcare services, medical education and research and extended his best wishes to the graduating students.
The convocation was formally declared open by AIIMS Bhubaneswar Executive Director and CEO Dr. Ashutosh Biswas with the approval of the chief guest. Presenting the institute’s progress report, Dr. Biswas highlighted achievements in academics, patient care, research, infrastructure development and innovation.
A total of 684 students were conferred degrees during the convocation. The graduating batch included 192 MBBS students, 163 MD/MS students, 60 DM/MCh students, 17 post-doctoral fellows, four PhD scholars, 134 BSc (Hons.) Nursing students, 75 BSc (Hons.) Paramedical students and 39 MSc Nursing students.
In recognition of academic excellence, 61 gold medals were presented to 32 meritorious students by the Union Minister in the presence of the dignitaries.
Among others present were AIIMS Bhubaneswar President Dr. Anita Saxena, Dean (Academic) Dr. Dillip Kumar Parida and Registrar Dr. Sudipta Ranjan Singh.
