GITAM Deemed to be University conducted a joint graduation ceremony for the GITAM Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (GIMSR) and GITAM Dental College in Visakhapatnam on Saturday (June 20, 2026). The event saw a total of 305 graduates successfully receive their degrees, including 153 from the MBBS programme, 80 from the BDS programme, 50 from the MD/MS programme, and 32 from the MDS programme. The graduating students represent multiple Indian States.

Addressing the passing-out graduates as the chief guest, eminent cardiologist and Member of Parliament (Bangalore Rural Lok Sabha) Dr. C.N. Manjunath emphasised that ethics, strong communication, thorough physical examinations, and cost-effective treatments are the need of the hour.

Reassuring the gathering that advanced tools like artificial intelligence and machine learning will never replace healthcare professionals, who prioritise systematic disease analysis, Dr. Manjunath lauded recent central government welfare initiatives, such as expanding medical college seats, establishing Ayushman Bharat generic medicine centres, removing customs duties on 17 life-saving cancer drugs, and launching the nationwide free HPV vaccination programme for 14-year-old girls. To strengthen rural healthcare, he proposed that the government award additional marks to NEET-PG aspirants who choose to serve in villages after completing their MBBS.

Visakhapatnam MP and GITAM president M. Sribharath stated that while cutting-edge advancements like robotic surgery are transformative, they can never replace a skilled surgeon. He urged new doctors to understand the factors driving up healthcare costs and to focus on rebuilding public trust through dedicated humanitarian service, reaffirming that GITAM Hospital remains firmly committed to offering high-quality healthcare services at an affordable cost.

Highlighting the institution’s academic and research milestones, GIMSR principal Dr. G. Sambasiva Rao shared that the graduating MBBS batch was trained under the advanced Competency-Based Medical Education (CBME) curriculum, with a significant number of students securing prestigious ICMR Short-Term Studentship research grants.

GITAM Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Medical Sciences) Dr. Gitanjali Bhatmanabane, Registrar Dr. D. Gunasekaran, Pro-Vice-Chancellor Prof. Gowthama Rao, GITAM Dental College Principal Dr. V. V. Narasimha Rao and others were present.