Vice-President C. P. Radhakrishnan on Wednesday called for strengthening India’s healthcare workforce through skilled, compassionate and service-oriented professionals, saying quality healthcare and education are essential pillars for achieving the vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047.
Speaking after inaugurating the GKNM Group College of Nursing in Coimbatore, the Vice-President said the country’s journey towards becoming a developed nation would require sustained efforts to improve healthcare delivery, promote preventive healthcare and nurture dedicated medical professionals.
Describing the new institution as another milestone in the GKNM Group’s long-standing commitment to public service, V-P Radhakrishnan praised the G. Kuppuswamy Naidu Charitable Trust for its contributions to healthcare and education over the past several decades. He noted that the Trust’s 50-bed hospital, established in 1952, has grown into a 750-bed multi-specialty healthcare institution while also expanding its educational initiatives from schools to higher education.
Highlighting the importance of the nursing profession, the Vice-President said nurses play a role that goes far beyond administering medical care.
“They make patients feel safe, secure and cared for. Along with medicines, their compassion and concern play an indispensable role in healing,” he said, urging nursing students to discharge their responsibilities with dedication, confidence, empathy and courage while upholding the nobility of the profession.
Referring to developments in the healthcare sector, V-P Radhakrishnan said the Ayushman Bharat programme has transformed access to quality healthcare and earned global recognition. He noted that nearly 44 crore people have been provided health insurance coverage of up to ₹5 lakh under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY).
He also highlighted healthcare initiatives for senior citizens, including free medical coverage under the Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana, and said the ongoing digitisation of health services is making healthcare more accessible across the country.
The Vice-President emphasised the importance of preventive healthcare and called for intensified efforts to eliminate anaemia among women and children, improve maternal health and ensure better nutrition from infancy through adolescence.
He also urged greater public awareness about organ and eye donation, describing both as humanitarian acts capable of saving lives and giving hope to patients in need.
Expressing confidence in the newly inaugurated nursing college, V-P Radhakrishnan said it would produce competent and compassionate healthcare professionals who would make significant contributions to nation-building.
He congratulated the trustees, management, faculty, nurses, students and staff of the GKNM Group and expressed hope that the G. Kuppuswamy Naidu Charitable Trust would establish a medical college in the future to train doctors committed to serving the poorest and most vulnerable sections of society.
Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, Kuppuswamy Naidu Charity Trust for Education and Medical Relief President R. Gopinath, and other dignitaries were present at the inaugural ceremony.
