Chandigarh: The Telemedicine Society of India (ETI) and PGIMERChandigarh Telemedicine Department jointly launched TELEMEDICON 2024 with the theme “Virtual healthcare and the role of AI,” states a press release.
The conference, held on Friday, attracted technology and healthcare experts from across India.
Dr. Biman Saikia, chair of the event, inaugurated the first session on AI in healthcare. Urologist Dr. Sunil Shroff delivered an insightful talk titled “Smart Medicine: How AI is Shaping the Future of Healthcare”, followed by Dr. Alok Modi who discussed the ethical dimensions and challenges posed by AI in medical care. Dr. Kim R spoke about the applications of AI in ophthalmology.
The plenary session on The Journey of Telemedicine, led by Dr. Meenu Singh, highlighted the rapid evolution of telemedicine, especially during the pandemic. The session was chaired by Dr KK Talwar, former director, PGIMER Chandigarh, and Dr Prem Nair, director, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences.
Subsequent sessions focused on Telemedicine in Health Promotion, Prevention and Lifestyle Management and Rural Telemedicine. These sessions were delivered by Dr. Shriram V Kulkarni from Mumbai, who shared insights on how to leverage AI to improve healthcare accessibility in underserved regions.
According to the release, a key attraction of the conference was a live demonstration of drone technology for drug delivery in the healthcare sector. These innovations aim to improve service delivery models, especially in rural or hard-to-reach areas, ultimately improving patient care and health outcomes.
The Teleophthalmology Society of India (TOSI) featured talks by Dr T Senthil on business models for teleophthalmology and Dr BNR Subudhi who presented innovative methods for early detection of diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma.
Dr. Rajeev Agarwal and Dr. Thanga Prabhu led a session on telemedicine for senior care, focusing on supervised senior care and innovative initiatives. geriatric telehealth practices.
The day concluded with presentations of award-winning articles on critical topics by young professionals.
The inaugural ceremony, held in the evening, was presided over by Madhukar Kumar Bhagat, Joint Secretary, E-Health Section, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, as the chief guest. Professor KK Talwar and Professor RK Ratho, Academic Dean, PGIMER Chandigarh, were the guests of honour.
TSI’s 20th International Conference, TELEMEDICON 2024, serves as a platform for collaboration between healthcare professionals, IT experts and researchers. The event, which runs until November 30, 2024, highlights the growing importance of artificial intelligence and telemedicine in reshaping and transforming global healthcare. (ANI)
