New Delhi: Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on Tuesday stated that medical professionals (doctors) should always uphold honesty, integrity, accountability, sincerity, truth, and probity to become a 'good doctor'.

Addressing the 20th Convocation of National Board of Examinations (NBE), Dr Harsh Vardhan stated, "I urge doctors to uphold the values of honesty, integrity, accountability, sincerity, truth, and probity in your lives as these form the foundations of a shining path. Your journey has just begun, and it should be your endeavour to not just become a professional doctor but a good doctor."

Dr Harsh Vardhan along with Ashwini Kumar Choubey, MoS (Health) also conferred gold medals to 71 students for their meritorious performance.

"It is important to show empathy with the patients and treat them with respect and dignity," Vardhan said, adding that the graduates will contribute to strengthening the healthcare sector in the country.

Enumerating the advances made in medical infrastructure, he stated that the numbers of AIIMS have now increased to 21 and work is also in progress on setting up 157 medical colleges mainly in the aspirational districts of the country to ensure that people here are provided superior health services.

Highlighting the need for more qualified and specialist doctors in the rural areas, Choubey, said, "Under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, even the poor and needy can avail of quality tertiary care health facilities through PMJAY."

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National Board of Examinations (NBE) is an autonomous organisation set up to conduct high level and uniform standard Post Graduate and Post-Doctoral examinations in the field of Modern Medicine and Allied Sciences.

NBE conducts 82 DNB broad specialties, super specialties and fellowship programs in sub-specialties across the country and conducts examination for it twice in a year.

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