Andhra Pradesh at forefront of health care services in India, says Governor

Andhra Pradesh has always been in the forefront of health care services and medical education, said Governor and Chancellor of Dr. NTR University of Health Sciences S. Abdul Nazeer on Tuesday (September 09, 2025).

Speaking at the 27th and 28th annual convocation of the NTR University, the Governor said Dr. NTR University of Health Sciences, established in 1986, was the first of its kind University in the country. On the medical education front, the State had been making rapid progress compared to the rest of the country and South India, he added.

Referring to the new medical college that had become functional in the remote tribal area of Paderu in Alluri Sitharama Raju district, in addition to 34 existing medical colleges in the State, he said that efforts were on to fill vacancies in various categories of Medical and Health Department.

He said that the Post Graduate medical courses in the specialties of Anaesthesiology, Radiation, and Oncology had become functional at Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Centre in Visakhapatnam.

He said that the health care education was a difficult and challenging field to enter, “But once you enter, the students must commit themselves to a lifelong journey of hard work, commitment, sincerity and education, to keep up with the rapid advances in health care and to provide health and therapeutics services to the needy sections,” he said.

CEO and Chief Cardiac Surgeon, National Hearth Institute, New Delhi, O.P. Yadava was conferred with the honorary degree of Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa) on the occasion. He said that the students must remember, “securing a Degree was not the end of the journey of learning. It is just the beginning. Today you cross a threshold - from ‘possibilities’ to ‘realities’. No more life-less simulations, virtual and augmented realities of skill-labs, but real world of humanity with all its splendour, spattered with its ills and inequities”.

Mr. Yadava said that they (students) would be dealing with the follies of the fickle human mind and the errant human heart. “As a result, you shall be confronted, on daily basis, with tears - of joys, of miraculous recoveries, and of tragedies and despair, of not only losing a life, but also of a roof and means of living.”

Dr. Yadava advised the students to stay human and not try to be the all-knowing, all-wise. “Have a fire in your belly. We always talk of innovation and getting new ideas. Go for it. Don’t accept things the way they are. Be inquisitive, and ask a ‘why’ to every certainty,” he added.

As many as 72 graduates (27th convocation) received medals (Gold-55 and Silver-17), while 18 others received cash prizes. With regard to 28th annual convocation, 84 graduates received medals (Gold-60 and Silver 24), while 20 others received cash prizes.

Vice-Chancellor of the NTR University P. Chandra Sekhar, Registrar V. Radhika Reddy and others were present.