New Delhi: Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee on October 5 said that the medical profession should not be seen as a commercial venture and compassion should be the cornerstone while providing medicare facilities to the people.

"Hospitals are not shops and medical profession should not become commercial," he said after inaugurating additional patient care facilities at the prestigious All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).

Strongly advocating a compassionate approach, Vajpayee said a proper understanding between doctors and patients could go a long way in mitigating the sufferings of the people. At the same time, negligence should not be tolerated, he said.

Observing that there was a need for good hospitals with all modern facilities and at the same time doctors get good salaries, Vajpayee said, "When I was in the Opposition I was not knowing all these. Now I started realising", evoking peals of laughter among the audience.

Terming AIIMS as an institution of excellence, the Prime Minister said that he had seen the institution growing from various points - as a patient, as a person under confinement in a room in the hospital during Emergency and now trying to see as Prime Minister.

Vajpayee inaugurated an extended OPD Block, new Emergency Ward, new private ward block, Dr B R Ambedkar Institute Rotary Cancer Hospital extended building and laid the foundation stone of cardio thoracic and neurosciences tower.

He said that the addition of various facilities on the Vijayadasami Day, which marked victory of righteousness over evil should also mark victory of health over disease.

PTI