Conformity culture must change, IIM Prof tells PGI docs

PGI celebrates Foundation Day

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‘Indian doctors have the factor of 60’

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 7

“Conformity culture must change. Doctors must have the courage to disagree with the high priests only then breakthrough innovations in the medical field will take place.”

This was stated by Prof Anil Kumar Gupta, executive vice-chair, National Innovation Foundation, during the foundation day lecture on “Innovations for Inclusive Health: Doctors as Designers” at the PGI here today.

Gupta said for a medical innovation to be successful, patients must give doctors a long rope. “Excessive paper work is an exercise in futility,” he added.

Gupta emphasised on how innovation could be utilised in case of patient diagnosis and management. He exemplified many innovations developed from different corners of the country which helped patients’ management affordable. He demonstrated one ECG machine of the size of a mobile phone. He encouraged students to think about how they could solve the problems which they faced in their day-to-day life while managing a patient.

Gupta said innovation was alive in India; simple inventions like wheelchairs that also climbed stairs, a herbal drug that could cure a skin infection, or a lightweight, wearable device that could convert speech to text – these were the kinds of simple innovations that brought about a change.

Gupta added that the Indian doctors had the factor of 60 that could change the medical field. “Innovate with the factor of 60. While the doctors the world over innovate in dollars, those in India do it in rupees, which is why their innovations have the power to change the world,” he remarked.

Getting innovations to go beyond the “aha moment” to something that was viable and replicable was what Prof Gupta was working on through many movements, including SRISTI, National Innovation Foundation (NIF) and the Honey Bee Network (HBN). His focus has always been on providing people at the grassroots level with recognition and reward for their knowledge and innovations.

Earlier, Yogesh Chawla, PGI director, welcomed the gathering. Besides the institute faculty and students faculty from the CRICKS institutes also attended the lecture.

Prof Subhash Varma, Dean of the institute, proposed the vote of thanks.