Health & education cannot be treated as business: Premji

Wipro founder Azim Premji on Tuesday described health and education as the foundation of society and said they could not be treated as business.

He was speaking at the 27th annual convocation of Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS).

“Health and education are fields of service, not business. A healthy and educated population is the foundation of a vibrant society and nation. But the effort to keep the population healthy and educated is real service. It cannot be treated as business,” he said.

Stressing the importance of providing quality health and education, Premji said, “Every human being in India deserves the best possible health and education, regardless of what they can pay. Without this, we cannot build a strong nation.”

Premji advised young professionals to focus on strengthening the public health system.

“We must do everything in our power to strengthen the public health system. Public health system, preventive and community health in primary care may not seem the most exciting to young professionals, but they are far more critical to a population’s health than the most sophisticated super-specialty care. We must invest in these areas, both as a country and as individuals,” he said.

Minister for Medical Education Dr Sharan Prakash Patil invited graduating students to join government services, saying, “You should aspire to work with the government, even if you get lucrative offers from corporate hospitals.”

He said working with the government sector gives self-satisfaction. “Working selflessly will give you greater satisfaction in life,” he said.

Governor and chancellor of universities Thaawarchand Gehlot advised students to upgrade their knowledge regularly. “In the era of artificial intelligence and robotics, even medical professionals must keep learning and upgrading themselves,” he said.