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The Vice President of India, Shri Bhairon Singh Shekhawat was today honoured with an honorary degree of Doctor of Medicine by the Yerewan State Medical University at Yerevan, the capital of Armenia. Shri Shekhawat is the first Indian to receive this Armenian honour. The degree along with a gold medallion was present to Shri Shekhawat at a special convocation that coincided with Diamond Jubilee of the University.
Speaking on the occasion, Shri Shekhawat underlined that today’s governance by the State is basically meant to secure human development and augment happiness. Improving quality of education and providing effective healthcare are the two primary means to achieve these objectives. It is, therefore, important that highest quality and standards are maintained in our medical education system so that it keeps pace with the changing requirements and fast technological developments.
Underlining the need for providing affordable healthcare to the common people at large including the poor and the deprived sections of the society, the Vice President said that the challenge to build an affordable public health system is really very formidable and demands an innovative approach. In every country one finds the rich and vast traditional wisdom of medicine which has so well served the poor, Shri Shekhawat said and added that the key to an affordable and reliable healthcare system lies in the integrated system of medicine. He hoped that medical universities would focus on these issues which vitally impact public healthcare and added that these issues are also receiving serious consideration in Indian and integrated courses in medical education are being envisaged.
The Vice President said that India has made significant progress since independence which is largely due to its rich reservoir of highly qualified technical and professional manpower today. The medical and health sector, therefore, offers new opportunities for cooperation between India and Armenia, he added.
Earlier, Shri Shekhawat held talks with the Prime Minister of Armenia, H.E. Mr. Andranik Margarian. Later a lunch in honour of Shri Shekhawat was hosted by H.E. Mr. Robert Kocharian, President of Armenia. Shri Shekhawat also visited the Holy Echmiadzin Church and had a meeting with HH Karegin II, Catholicos of All Armedians.
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