By IANS
New Delhi : Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss Saturday in a letter to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar clarified his remarks on Bihar doctors and said he has “high regard and esteem” for the doctors from the state.
“I have high regard and esteem for doctors from Bihar who have contributed immensely to the medical profession as well as the welfare of the general public. Myself being a medical doctor, I am proud of this noble profession,” he said in his letter.
Seeking to end the controversy about his remarks about a doctor from Bihar being the reason for Britain to derecognise Indian medical degrees Ramadoss said, “The anecdote was misquoted by a section of media as if I have denigrated the image of the doctors from Bihar.”
Ramadoss said during the recent meeting of the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPIO) in New Delhi, he was “mentioning about the proposal of the government to initially unilaterally recognize the post graduate medical degrees of some advanced English-speaking countries like USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.”
“This proposal will encourage the Indian doctors who pursued their higher studies in these countries and settled abroad to return to India and serve the people of our nation,” he said.
While answering a query as to why Britain had withdrawn the recognition of Indian Medical Degrees in the mid 1970’s, Ramadoss said that he based the remarks “on the information received, and mentioned about an episode involving an Indian doctor during an examination in U.K. Incidentally, the doctor was said to be from Bihar.”
He said he never had any intention to denigrate the image of Indian doctors in general and Bihar doctors in particular, who are held in high esteem globally.
Praising the state in his letter, the minister said: “I am always appreciative of the rich culture and historical traditions of Bihar.”
“Bihar is the land of the great Buddha and that I am an ardent admirer of the scholarship and wisdom propagated by the great Nalanda University in the ancient period which is recognized with high esteem by the international community.”
“I am proud of the contribution made by the great political leaders and social justice pioneers of Bihar like Jayaprakash Narayan, Ram Manohar Lohia, Karpuri Thakur to the nation,” he said.
He hoped he will continue to get support from the chief minister and the Bihar doctors for all the health sector programmes “to take Bihar to great heights.”