KARNATAKA: Union Health Minister J P Nadda on Tuesday encouraged students to explore fields like mental health education and geriatrics, saying while significant research is already underway, more efforts are needed to support those in need.

He emphasised that aging can't be stopped but it can be delayed to enhance quality of life and that requires continued research.

"I request students to venture in areas of mental health education and geriatric....where a lot of research is being done, and we should also carry forward that process, because this in an area where people need help," he added.

Addressing students at the 15th Convocation of KLE Academy of Higher Education and Research here, the Union Minister recalled a time when policy makers expressed concern over a brain drain from the country.

"But when the policy under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Modi came, we said that we are not only going to cater the motherland, we will be catering our Motherland and the world. And that is why the seats, which were limited to 45,000 have been increased to 1.18 lakh in undergrads, and that is why, from 37 odds, it has been increased to 54,000 for PG and we are not going to stop here," he said.

Nadda said over the next five years, India will add 75,000 new medical seats.

"We are going to have 75,000 extra seats in medical education. And when we say so, it's not only increasing the seats, we are also trying to see that the medical education is affordable. Medical education is accessible, medical education is for the all sections of the society." He highlighted that people from modest background are able to become doctors, crediting this shift to change in policy and a transparent system.

Nadda contrasted the 1997 health policy, which focused on the curative part and the tertiary medical education, with the 2017 policy. The new policy of the Modi government was shaped after three-years of consultation with stakeholders.

"We need a very inclusive, holistic health care system where we concentrate on prevention, promotion, curative part, palliative part, rehabilitative part and geriatric part, and all together, should make it a holistic health system." He also said while there is strong focus on tertiary health care, the primary health care cannot be ignored.

Citing the screenings and treatments being provided for dabities, oral cancer, breast cancer and other diseases under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, he urged medical students not to compare the healthcare system in India with any other countries as India caters to 1.4 billion people.

"Our healthcare system is robust but we have to have faith in our health system. We have been successful in maintaining the polio eradication, we are very close to eradicating and eliminating leprosy... In America for a Corona certificate, you get a piece of paper. In India for a corona certificate, you get it on your mobile. This is Digital India, which you have to understand. This is the change which has come," he added.

Highlighting the need for integrated medicine, the said, "We have to integrate. We have to see to it. And for that, at least sensitivity towards the other pathies should also be there. And this is how we are going to start. And we are also giving preference to traditional medicine... Lot has been done. Lot has to be done. We have to go forward, and we have to go with an open mind. We cannot go with closed mind." He appealed to them to be receptive to new ideas as emerging technologies are continously reshaping the health sector.