Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare inaugurated the National Conference on The Electronic Resources in Medicine (ERMED) Consortium: Empowering Libraries for Digital Health Transformation at National Media Library, in New Delhi.

ERMED stands for collaborative excellence and transformative impact within the medical landscape of India and for its unwavering commitment to cater to the diverse information needs of the medical fraternity. ERMED consortium access facility has been extended to 74 selected government institutes including 14 AIIMS and even AYUSH Research Colleges/ Extend it to institutions as well.

Accentuating the importance and impact of NML, Dr Pawar stated that “now faculty, research students living in remote areas are also taking advantage of the eResources of NML, the metadata of books and journals of NML that have been uploaded on NIC's cloud software eGranthalaya and is easily searchable by information searchers. NML's e-resources such as eBooks, eJournals, clinical cases, high resolution images etc. are available through Electronic Resources in Medical (ERMED) consortium with member institutions.” The pursuit of knowledge is beneficial not only for patient care but also for personal and professional development, she added.

Dr Pawar emphasized that the government has taken several steps to increase the number of seats in various medical institutions/colleges in the country, as a result of which the number of undergraduate seats which were 51,348 before 2014 has increased to more than 1,07,948 as of today, i.e. 110 % has increased. Similarly, since 2014, the number of PG seats in the country has increased by 117 per cent to 67,802 seats. It means that in the coming times, NML has pivotal role to play in making medical education accessible to all via digital platform, she said.

She also highlighted the continuous innovations and new developments in the field of treatment, diagnostic methods and technologies. “Continuous learning allows health care professionals to stay updated with the latest developments and integrate them into their practices, ensuring the best possible care for patients”, she stressed. It also broadens our intellectual horizons, fosters critical thinking, and enriches our understanding of the human body and its complexities, she further added. The more health care professionals learn and refinetheir skills, the better they are at providing accurate diagnosis, effective treatment, and optimal patient care, the Union Minister pointed out. Dr Pawar further added, “As healthcare providers, we have an ethical duty to provide the highest quality care to our patients. Continuous learning ensures that we meet this responsibility by offering the latest and most effective treatments available.”

The Union Minister of State suggested that more medical eResources should be included in the ERMED consortium that is accessible to all. “The world of medicine is constantly evolving, driven by groundbreaking discoveries, new technologies, and advances in patient care. In this fast changing scenario, the importance of lifelong learning cannot be underestimated. Medicine is a field of precision and compassion, where the lives of individuals depend on the knowledge, skill, and expertise of health care professionals”, she further stated.

“Continuous learning is not just an option but a responsibility that every healthcare professional must shoulder. This empowers us to provide the highest level of care, contribute to medical progress and maintain the trust and confidence of our patients”, Dr Bharti stated. She urged everyone to embrace the spirit of lifelong learning and commit ourselves to excellence in the dynamic and noble field of medicine.