The government has planned for rapid expansion of medical education facilities in India by establishing new AIIMS-like institutions and medical college in the States, Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu said on Friday while addressing the 46th annual convocation of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Delhi.

Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare J.P. Nadda was also at the event and awarded degrees to 671 graduating students.

‘Making rapid strides’

Mr. Naidu said that India was making rapid strides in medical tourism with people coming from all over the glove for a range of treatments.

The V-P also presented the lifetime achievement awards to A. K. Saraya, Samira Nundy, Kamal Buckshee and Gomathy Gopinath (in absence). He also presented gold medals and certificates to 31 medical students who achieved highest merit.

Mr. Nadda congratulated the students and stated that ensuring the highest standards of medical education is the top priority for the government.

The Minister said that the Centre had undertaken many initiatives to improve medical education in the country and will set up more medical and nursing schools for multi-skilling of doctors to overcome shortage of specialists.

He informed that phase-I of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) at Jhajjar AIIMS will be functional by next month.