Chandigarh: AI-driven early cancer detection on PGI’s mind
AIIMS Rishikesh, AIIMS Delhi and PGIMER Chandigarh are working collaboratively to bring AI-driven solutions into communities
The Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) is planning to advance telemedicine through the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) to facilitate early cancer detection.
Leveraging AI to revolutionise healthcare was in focus on the final day of the Telemedicon conference held on the theme “Virtual healthcare and the role of AI”. The conference, which concluded on Saturday at PGIMER, saw participation from over 500 delegates. Experts discussed ethical challenges and AI applications in emergency care.
Dr Amit Aggarwal from the department of telemedicine highlighted the plans to equip peripheral healthcare centres with AI tools to diagnose diseases like oral cancer, liver cancer and diabetic retinopathy at advanced stages.
He emphasised the importance of authentic, India-specific data for developing effective AI tools. “Detecting cancer at the primary stage can save countless lives, reducing the need for patients to travel long distances for treatment,” said Dr Aggarwal.
AIIMS Rishikesh, AIIMS Delhi and PGIMER Chandigarh are working collaboratively to bring AI-driven solutions into communities.
Drones for medicine, report delivery in remote regions
PGIMER is also exploring the use of drones to enhance healthcare accessibility in remote areas. According to Dr Biman Saikia, chairperson of the conference, plans are underway to deploy drones for transporting organs, delivering medicines and sending diagnostic reports to underserved regions like Himachal Pradesh. This innovation could significantly reduce travel time and eliminate the need for green corridors.
Dr Saikia noted that AIIMS Rishikesh used drones to deliver tuberculosis medicines in Uttarakhand within just 30 minutes. PGIMER aims to replicate and expand this model, potentially transforming how healthcare reaches distant communities.