He was addressing students at the 34th convocation of PGIMER in Chandigarh
Emphasising the need for holistic and preventive healthcare, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that time has come to think about wellness rather than illness. “The time has passed for (only) addressing (the issue of) illness, (rather) time has come to address wellness. We will have to move ahead with a comprehensive thought, in which we should address wellness and well-being and not only illness,” he said.
Modi was addressing students at the 34th convocation of Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in Chandigarh. The Prime Minister said that there was consciousness among the people about holistic and preventive healthcare.
The world is asking for something more from medical science, he said, noting, “It has begun to think about good health than depending on (the use of) medicines.”
“There is a big change coming in the society as it wants freedom from medicines. A person does not want side effects (of medicines), he wants to prevent himself from illness,” he said.
Modi said that practicing yoga was a step towards the preventive and holistic healthcare and wellness. The policies and strategies of the health sector are being made keeping in mind such issues, he said.
The Prime Minister also asked doctors to accept their responsibility towards the society which has a role in helping them to become specialists.
Modi, who is visiting Chandigarh city for the first time after becoming the Prime Minister, gave away gold medals to doctors who completed their post-graduate degrees at PGIMER.