Win patients' trust, doctors advised

The Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS) conferred degrees on 27,512 students at its 15th annual convocation here on Monday.

The university also conferred honorary doctorates on three distinguished personalities in the field. Forty-five students were awarded gold medals for brilliant academic performance.

Delivering the convocation address, Prof Belle Monappa Hegde, former V-C of Manipal University, asked the graduating medical professionals to work on building trust with patients. “Research has shown that it is the trust the patient has in the doctor that works more than the medicine itself.” He cautioned the young doctors against administering excessive chemical-filled medicines that caused more harm to the body than help. He observed that the future of healthcare lay in a combination of modern medicine and other systems of healthcare. He called upon the graduating batch to invest in quality research.

“The profession today needs genuine research work,” he said.

‘Cannot stop bills’

Governor H R Bhardwaj, who is the Chancellor of the universities in the State, also took part in the convocation. In reply to a question regarding the huge number of bills for the formation of private varsities recently passed by the State legislature, the Governor said one could not hinder the bills.

“The bills themselves cannot be stopped. However, what one could do is ensure that these new universities abide by the regulations. We have good examples for private varsities such as the Azim Premji University.”

The private institutions’ regulations are now being discussed at the Central level. Governors from various states are requesting for fresh guidelines from the University Grants Commission, he said.

With regard to the recent nod by the State government for the amendment of the Karnataka State Universities Act that seeks to vest more power with the State government in the appointment of V-Cs, the Governor said no matter what the amendment is, the Chancellor’s (the Governor’s) power cannot be diluted.