State IT Minister Poongothai Aladi Aruna on Thursday urged graduands in allied health sciences to uphold ethical practices in their careers.
Addressing the sixth convocation ceremony of the College of Health Sciences run by Madras Medical Mission (MMM), Dr. Poongothai said ethics and values were important in every discipline, and more so in medicine.
Underscoring the need for team work as medicine diversified into niche speciality areas, Dr. Poongothai said everyone had to contribute equally to extend quality patient care in a hospital setting.
She advised the graduands to involve themselves in their work with passion and integrity.
The Minister said India's aspirations to become a superpower hinged on the excellence of the youth. Noting that India was a relatively young nation that had achieved phenomenal success in various sectors over a short span of six decades, she said the role of the youth in shaping the future of the country was all the more crucial in a knowledge economy.
Thangam Varma, Medical Director, MMM Institute of Reproductive Medicine and Women's Health, said tolerance and understanding were essential virtues in any profession that dealt with people, especially the medical profession where one engaged with those who were ill.
She wanted young graduates to develop communication skills that would help engage with patients with compassion. Cure is never complete without care, she said.
K. Jacob, Honorary secretary, MMM, said the hospital's educational unit had launched various courses to cater to the healthcare industry needs.
A distinguishing feature of the course curriculum is its work integrated learning programme.
Philomena Mariados, Dean, said about 60 students graduated from various disciplines such as Medical Sociology, Clinical Nutrition, Medical Microbiology and Physician Assistants. Most students had earned placements in the hospitals well before the results of the courses were announced, she said.
