New Delhi, Nov 16 (IANS) President Pratibha Patil Monday urged young doctors in the country to come forward to serve people in rural areas.

Speaking at the 37th annual convocation of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here, Patil said as a part of their social responsibilities and duty towards the nation, doctors should devote some years of their professional lives in villages by taking rural postings.

'By serving in rural areas not only would you be doing good work for the nation, but the stint will be a valuable addition to your professional experience. It would also be an opportunity to get to know your country more closely and you are needed there the most,' Patil said.

Expressing happiness over the recent efforts made by the government to provide better health facilities in villages, she said: 'I am told that since the launch of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) over 700,000 ashas (rural health workers), 70,000 nurses and 15,000 doctors have been added. Work should be undertaken with greater zeal for the success of NRHM.'

Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said that to encourage doctors to go to rural and difficult areas 50 percent of the seats in the postgraduate diploma courses are reserved for medical officers of government service who have served at least three years in rural areas.