Assam’s MMR Drops Below National Average as India’s Healthcare Advances Over the Past Decade: VP

Summary:
Vice President CP Radhakrishnan highlighted India’s healthcare progress over the past decade, citing initiatives such as Ayushman Bharat and describing Assam’s decline in maternal mortality ratio below the national average as a major milestone. He credited improvements in Assam’s healthcare infrastructure, including the rise in medical colleges from seven in 2021 to 15, with nine more under construction. Radhakrishnan also encouraged healthcare graduates to uphold compassion, ethics and scientific excellence while noting the state’s growing potential to attract patients seeking advanced treatment. 

Vice President CP Radhakrishnan on Sunday described India’s healthcare performance over the past decade as “outstanding”, attributing the progress to the exemplary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He also noted that Assam’s maternal mortality ratio has fallen below the national average for the first time, describing the development as a “milestone”.

Addressing the convocation ceremony of Srimanta Sankaradeva University of Health Sciences (SSUHS) here, he said the state is moving towards a stage where people from outside Assam will travel there to seek medical treatment.

Radhakrishnan called on graduating healthcare professionals in Assam to combine compassion with scientific excellence and commit their knowledge and abilities to serving humanity.

The vice president pointed to the transformation of India’s healthcare system under Prime Minister Modi, citing initiatives such as Ayushman Bharat.

“The last decade of health sciences in India has been outstanding due to the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” he said.

Radhakrishnan said more than 44 crore Ayushman cards have been issued and noted that the government’s healthcare initiative has enabled poor and middle-class families to save an estimated Rs 2 lakh crore in medical expenses.

The Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana is the world’s largest public healthcare programme and provides eligible households with health insurance coverage of up to Rs 5 lakh each year.

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, India was the only country that gave vaccines free of cost. Not only did it give vaccines to its 140 crore people, but it also exported them to over 100 countries freely. That is why immunity was saved,” the vice president added.

Speaking about Assam’s healthcare development, Radhakrishnan said the state’s MMR had, for the first time, dropped below the national average, describing the achievement as a “milestone”.

Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) is an important healthcare measure that refers to the number of maternal deaths occurring during a specific period for every 100,000 live births recorded in the same period.

He congratulated Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and the Assam government for improving healthcare infrastructure. He said these developments are also allowing an increasing number of patients from outside Assam to travel to Guwahati for advanced medical treatment.

“Assam is creating a day when people will come to the state for treatment, as they go to other parts of India,” he said, pointing to the upcoming Proton Beam Therapy Unit at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital for cancer treatment.

The vice president advised graduating healthcare professionals to maintain compassion, ethical standards and scientific excellence while dedicating their expertise and skills to the service of humanity.

While presenting the Dr John Berry White Award for the three-year period beginning in 2023, Radhakrishnan also urged medical students and graduating young people to limit their time on social media and avoid substance abuse.

He led those present in taking a pledge against drug consumption.

Radhakrishnan said young healthcare professionals have an important role in helping advance the vision of a developed and healthy India and extended his best wishes to the graduating students for their future endeavours.

He said the university, named after Mahapurush Srimanta Sankaradeva, has developed into a significant centre for health sciences education, research and public health.

He praised the institution’s efforts to expand medical knowledge in local languages, including the publication of an Anglo-Assamese medical science dictionary and medical textbooks in Assamese.

Highlighting the state’s progress in healthcare education, Radhakrishnan said Assam’s number of medical colleges has more than doubled, increasing from seven in 2021 to 15, while nine additional colleges are currently under construction.

The convocation was attended by Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Medical Education & Research Minister Ashok Singhal, Education Minister Ranoj Pegu, Chief Secretary Ravi Kota, SSUHS Vice Chancellor Anup Kumar Barman and other dignitaries.