Chandigarh: Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss on Friday called upon doctors to serve poor patients in their own country rather than going to countries like the US to serve the poor there.

In his presidential address to medical postgraduates at the 29th convocation of the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) here, the health minister said that many Indian student doctors in the US are using this means to stay on in that country after completing their studies.

"To get immigration, these doctors start serving the poor in the US rather than in their own country. There is no dearth of poor patients in India itself," pointed out Ramadoss, a physician himself.

External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee was the chief guest at the PGIMER convocation.

Nearly 290 degrees to postgraduate medical students were awarded on the occasion.IANS