New Delhi: National Medical Commission (NMC) Chairman Dr Abhijat Chandrakant Sheth on Saturday said the government is committed to increasing the number of doctors uniformly across the country to meet the World Health Organization's recommended doctor-patient ratio of 1:1000.

He was presiding over the 11th convocation of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Medical Sciences (ABVIMS) and Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital here, where 250 postgraduate and DM students, along with the first batch of 100 MBBS graduates, received their degrees.

Dr Sheth said efforts were underway to achieve a balanced undergraduate to postgraduate ratio of 1:1, adding that this would raise the quality of India's healthcare system to the level of developed nations. He also underlined new initiatives by the NMC and the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences, including the integration of skill-based and virtual learning with traditional methods to strengthen competency-based medical education.

Congratulating the students, Dr Sheth urged them to remain lifelong learners while prioritising their own health and well-being.

Additional Secretary in the Health Ministry Dr Vinod Kotwal lauded the graduates, saying the day marked the beginning of their lifelong commitment to serve the nation. She also congratulated ABVIMS on its NABH accreditation, calling it recognition of the institution's focus on quality and patient-centred care.

Director General of Health Services Dr Sunita Sharma reminded the graduates that medicine was a “noble calling built on compassion and an unwavering commitment to human life.” She urged them to carry empathy, evidence and excellence into whichever field of healthcare they chose.

The institute's annual report Samhita was also released at the event.