2 days ago
Charak, Sushruta awards for state's top doctors announced on National Doctor's Day
Dehradun: State health minister Dr Dhan Singh Rawat announced the launch of the Charak Award and Sushruta Award on National Doctor's Day to honour MBBS doctors and faculty from govt medical colleges for their outstanding contributions to medicine.
The announcement, made on Tuesday, came during the Doctor of the Year Award 2025 event at Doon Medical College in Dehradun.
Named after two pioneers of Indian medical science—Charaka, the father of Ayurveda, and Sushruta, the father of Ayurvedic surgery—the awards aim to recognise excellence in both practice and medical education. The rollout may begin next year. This initiative follows the state's earlier move to replace the Hippocratic Oath with the Maharshi Charak Shapath, as recommended by the National Medical Commission (NMC).
Dr Rawat said the awardees will receive monetary rewards of Rs 1 lakh, Rs 75,000, and Rs 50,000, and be eligible for international study support. They will also get a two-year relaxation in transfer policy, which is yet to be finalised.
He added that a dedicated policy for the medical education department is being prepared to address faculty vacancies and improve healthcare services in the state's hilly and rural regions.
On Wednesday, Dr Rawat criticised the slow progress in the construction of medical colleges, saying delays had escalated costs. While the state planned to set up a government medical college in each of its 13 districts, only four are currently operational with student batches.
He added that the department is also focused on strengthening the public healthcare system through large-scale recruitment of specialist doctors, medical officers, nurses, paramedics, and technical staff across government hospitals and medical colleges.
