Chandigarh, September 9:The Governor of Punjab and Administrator, U.T. Chandigarh, Shri Gulab Chand Kataria, today attended the 35th Annual Day Celebration and White Coat Ceremony for the MBBS Batch-2026 of Government Medical College & Hospital (GMCH-32), Chandigarh, and called upon the young medical students to uphold service, compassion, ethical conduct and professional excellence throughout their careers. Along with Chief Secretary Shri H. Rajesh Prasad, Home-cum-Health Secretary Shri Mandip Singh Brar, Director Principal Prof. Ravneet Kaur and other faculty members of GMCH-32 and Students.

Addressing the gathering, the Administrator said the white coat is not merely a uniform but a symbol of trust, responsibility, compassion and professional integrity. He urged the students to strive not only to become successful doctors but also professionals whom patients can trust. He also highlighted the excellence of medical education in India and stressed the need to increase medical seats in Chandigarh, as patients from neighbouring States turn to the city, particularly in critical cases.

Congratulating the Director-Principal, faculty, staff, students and parents, Shri Kataria appreciated GMCH’s contribution to medical education, healthcare and research. He noted that GMCH, established in 1991 with an initial MBBS batch of 50 students, has grown into a leading medical institution with 200 MBBS seats and over 1,119 beds, offering undergraduate, postgraduate and super-specialty courses. He also appreciated GMCH-32 for securing 15th position nationally in the India Today Rankings 2026 under the Medical category.

The Administrator emphasised that the true measure of a medical institution lies not merely in rankings or infrastructure, but in quality patient care, meaningful research, world-class education and compassionate service. He called for greater focus on research and innovation, patient-centred learning, emergency and critical care, effective grievance redressal, and responsible use of Artificial Intelligence and digital technologies without losing the human connection at the heart of healthcare.

The Chief Secretary congratulated the students and their parents on the White Coat Ceremony and highlighted Chandigarh’s trusted healthcare infrastructure serving patients from neighbouring States. Referring to GMCH-32, which caters to hundreds of patients daily, he described medicine as a noble profession requiring lifelong learning.

Earlier, the Home Secretary emphasised the importance of listening to patients and developing a personal connect with them to build trust and support their recovery. The Chief Secretary congratulated the students and their parents and highlighted Chandigarh’s trusted healthcare infrastructure, noting that GMCH-32 caters to over 6,000 patients daily. He described medicine as a noble profession requiring lifelong learning.

A highlight of the celebration was the release of GMCH’s first-ever College Anthem and the annual magazine, Glimpse 2026. Students from medical and paramedical courses also presented a cultural programme, adding to the celebrations.

The Administrator wished the young doctors success in their journey of learning, service and nation-building, and urged them to continuously learn, uphold ethical values and serve every patient with dignity and empathy.