On 4th March, 2018, Shri Ashwini Kumar Choubey- Hon’ble Minister of State for Family and Health Welfare, Govt of India visited Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (MGIMS) to participate in the graduation ceremony of the institute. Shri Dhirubhai Mehta (President, Kasturba Health Society), Mr PL Tapdiya (Trustee, Kasturba Health Society), Dr BS Garg (Secretary, Kasturba Health Society respectively), Dr KR Patond (Dean, MGIMS), Dr SP Kalantri (Medical Superintendent) along with bureaucrats, faculty, staff, residents, parents and students assembled in the auditorium of the institute. The function was organized to award the degree certificates to the MGIMS class of 2012.
After garlanding the portraits of Bapu, Baa and Dr. Sushila Nayar (the founder president of MGIMS), Shri Choubey lighted up the lamp to mark the beginning of the ceremony. The traditional welcome of the chief guest with sutgundi and bapu’s favorite bhajan charged the atmosphere with enthusiasm and excitement. Shri Choubey awarded the degree certificates to the students and congratulated them all the best in their future endeavors. Speaking on the occasion, Shri Choubey applauded the institute’s efforts in promoting rural healthcare. Calling himself a disciple of Gandhi ji, Shri Choubey commended the institute for incorporating Bapu’s ideologies and principles in its teachings. “How I wished, back in 1971, to be a student here”, told Shri Choubey expressing his long lived dream to study medicine at MGIMS. “I have come here as a student to learn and to imbibe as much as I can”, he added. He saluted the efforts taken by Maharashtra Govt in bringing down the maternal mortality ratio to 68 per 1 Lakh (MMR) and infant mortality rate to 13 per 1000 compared to the national numbers of 178 per 1 Lakh (MMR) and 34 per 1000 (IMR). Shri Choubey asked the students to be sensitive to the felt and unsaid needs of the patients and urged them to adhere to the medical profession with compassion, honesty and integrity. He expressed his desire to be reborn as a clinician in his next life and concluded his message with “Manav seva-madhav seva, Jan seva-janardhan seva”.
Earlier, Dr KR Patond, Dean, welcomed the audience to the third graduation ceremony of the institute. He emphasized the rural service that the institute is committed to. He congratulated the proud students for having made it through the most difficult part of their career. “We bid you farewell and at the same time hope to see you in the institute for the post-graduation too”, said Dr Patond. “The institute shall always welcome its alumni with open hearts and expects your cooperation in its betterment”, he added.
In his presidential address, Shri Dhiru S Mehta, took pride in addressing the new doctors. “Trained by the excellent teachings of the institute – our students are sensitized to the real problems of the community”, Shri Dhirubhai told the audience. Congratulating the students, Shri Dhirubhai urged them to continue the community oriented service and advised them not to be money centric. He bade them farewell only to welcome them back.
The class of 2012 also swore to the Hippocratic Oath attributed to the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates before their peers, family, friends and mentors. Dr. SP Kalantri administered them the famous oath. The atmosphere was charged with emotions and excitement as the students donning graduation regalia recited the ethical code—adopted as a guide to conduct by the medical profession in the graduation ceremonies of medical schools, worldwide. “The oath is not the rite of passage but a strong reminder that the modern medicine is not only limited to humanistic care and clinical excellence but signifies humanity, compassion and empathy at the point of care”, reminded Dr Kalantri.
Dr Satish Kumar, Officer- In- Charge Students’ Council and the face behind the event, proposed the vote of thanks. The program was compered by Dr. Anupama Gupta (Professor of Pathology). A mother of a graduate put it so aptly, “It is heart-warming to see all the graduates proudly celebrating their achievements with their families, friends, and teachers. Our children have worked very hard to reach these heights and we hope that they would contribute to work hard to bring hope to families – hopes of a better future, hopes of career prospects, and hopes of contributing to the upliftment of communities.”
