- Centenary IMA Conference Marks a Defining Moment for India’s Health Ecosystem
- Ethics, Wellness and Technology Must Shape Medical Education: Shah
- Doctors’ COVID Sacrifice Recognised as India’s Greatest Human Capital
- Ayushman Bharat, Mission Indradhanush Drive Structural Health Gains
- Telemedicine and Research to Define IMA’s Future Role
- From Illness to Wellness: A New National Health Paradigm
NE HEALTH BUREAU
HMEDABAD, DEC 28
Addressing the Indian Medical Association’s National Conference – IMA NATCON 2025 in Ahmedabad, Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah called upon India’s medical fraternity to play a decisive leadership role in building a strong, accessible and future-ready health ecosystem aligned with the national vision of Viksit Bharat.
Marking the 100th national convention of the IMA, Shah said the milestone was not merely a celebration of longevity but a testament to a century of sacrifice, service and sustained contribution by doctors to India’s public health journey.
Centenary as a Moment of Renewal, Not Complacency
Reaching its 100th convention, Shah said, places the IMA at a historic inflection point—one that demands both reflection and reinvention. He urged the association to take its century-long achievements to every section of society, using the year as a platform to instill service values, duty consciousness and public trust.
At the same time, he said, the centenary must be used to adapt to rapid changes in medicine—from general practice to advanced specialization—ensuring that institutions evolve in step with the times.
Redefining Medical Ethics for a New Century
Calling healthcare fundamentally a field of service, Shah said doctors continue to be viewed as saviours in moments of human vulnerability. However, ethical frameworks framed a century ago now require contemporary relevance.
He urged the IMA to redefine medical ethics and integrate them formally into medical education, stressing that ethics cannot be legislated or enforced, but must be internalised as a moral responsibility. If adopted into curricula, he said, this would nurture generations of doctors who view service as a sacred duty.
Doctors Central to the Vision of Viksit Bharat 2047
Referring to the national resolve to make India a global leader by its centenary of Independence, Shah said a healthy population—physically, mentally and emotionally—is foundational to this ambition.
Doctors, he noted, will play a decisive role in shaping this demographic strength. Since 2014, he said, healthcare development has followed a holistic model, combining sanitation, preventive care, fitness, traditional wellness and insurance-based treatment access.
Transformational Impact of National Health Missions
Shah highlighted how initiatives such as Swachh Bharat, Fit India, Khelo India, International Day of Yoga, Ayushman Bharat, Mission Indradhanush, and Jan Aushadhi Kendras have fundamentally reshaped India’s health landscape.
Key outcomes include:
- Free treatment up to ₹5 lakh under Ayushman Bharat
- Expansion of CHC and PHC networks with ₹1.65 lakh crore investment
- 1.81 lakh Ayushman Bharat Health Centres empowering rural India
- 97% reduction in malaria cases
- Major declines in maternal and infant mortality
- Removal of GST on health insurance
- Affordable generic medicines across the country
He said healthcare budgets have risen from ₹37,000 crore in 2013–14 to ₹1.28 lakh crore today, with schemes translating into real-world outcomes.
COVID Service: India’s Greatest Strength
Recalling the COVID-19 crisis, Shah described the unwavering commitment of Indian doctors as the country’s greatest human capital. Despite personal risk, doctors across public and private practice upheld duty, followed national protocols, supported vaccination efforts, ran helplines, organised blood donation camps and stood united for patients.
He said such collective discipline and compassion is rare globally and must be recognised as a national asset.
Future Roadmap: Research, Telemedicine and Wellness
Looking ahead, Shah called on the IMA to:
- Actively promote medical research
- Strengthen telemedicine and video-based consultations
- Enable AIIMS-to-PHC/CHC connectivity
- Shift the healthcare narrative from illness to wellness
- Encourage lifestyle guidance alongside treatment
He said the IMA’s role must now be to fortify India’s health infrastructure, ensuring healthcare is affordable, accessible and of high quality for every citizen.
