KOCHI, Sep 27: Vice-President C. P. Radhakrishnan on Sunday urged young doctors to make effective use of emerging technologies while preserving empathy, integrity and personal responsibility in patient care.
Speaking at the 15th Graduation Day ceremony of Sree Uthradom Thirunal (SUT) Academy of Medical Sciences in Kochi, Radhakrishnan said artificial intelligence, robotics, digital healthcare, advanced imaging and precision medicine were rapidly transforming the medical sector.
He stressed that technological tools could support clinical work but could not substitute for the human connection between doctors and patients.
“Technology can assist a doctor, but it cannot replace the human aspects of a doctor,” he said, adding that machines could analyse information and algorithms could detect patterns, but patients still required doctors who could listen, understand, reassure and accept responsibility.
Radhakrishnan said the introduction of robotic surgery and computer-assisted diagnostic facilities at the SUT Academy reflected the importance of keeping medical education aligned with developments in healthcare technology.
He said the strength of a medical institution should be measured through the quality of its education, the doctors it trains, the research it conducts and the service it provides to patients.
Addressing the graduating students, the Vice-President emphasised the importance of accurate diagnosis, transparent communication, compassionate treatment and ethical decision-making. He said scientific expertise and human sensitivity must remain complementary aspects of the medical profession.
Referring to the vision of Viksit Bharat @ 2047, Radhakrishnan said wider access to higher education would be crucial to the country’s development. He noted that the goal could be achieved only when progress reached every state, district and village.
He also highlighted the expansion of medical education over the past 12 years, noting that India, which earlier had only one AIIMS in New Delhi, now has 12 additional AIIMS institutions.
The Vice-President spoke about the growing participation of women in higher education, observing that women were increasingly receiving a larger share of degrees and medals at convocations across the country.
At the SUT ceremony, undergraduate degrees were awarded to 60 women and 32 men, while postgraduate qualifications were conferred on five women and two men.
Radhakrishnan asked the graduates to remember three principles throughout their careers: “Knowledge in their minds, Compassion in their hearts, Integrity in their conduct.”
He encouraged them to combine confidence with humility, ambition with ethics and technological expertise with concern for society. He also urged them to stay away from drugs.
Wishing the graduates success in their professional lives, Radhakrishnan said the greatest privilege of being a doctor was the opportunity to positively affect another person’s life.
Tamil Nadu and Kerala Governor Rajendra Viswanath Arlekar, Kerala Minister for Labour, Animal Husbandry and Women and Child Development Bindhu Krishna, SUT Academy of Medical Sciences Chairman A. C. Shanmugam, Kerala University of Health Sciences Vice-Chancellor Mohanan Kunnummal, faculty members, staff, students and their families attended the ceremony.