AI will empower, not replace doctors: Banaras Hindu University Vice-Chancellor
PGIMER marks 63rd Foundation Day; bed strength up from 2,200 to 3,000, says Director
Artificial Intelligence (AI) will transform healthcare by expanding what doctors can do rather than replacing them, Banaras Hindu University (BHU) Vice-Chancellor Prof Ajit Kumar Chaturvedi said today while delivering the Foundation Day address at PGIMER’s 63rd Institute Day celebrations.
“The most successful healthcare deployments today are not examples of AI replacing doctors. They are examples of AI helping doctors perform at their best,” Prof Chaturvedi told the gathering at the NINE Auditorium, where he was chief guest.
Prof Chaturvedi said AI could help doctors extract information from clinical records, pathology reports and scientific literature, though the technology would not substitute clinical expertise. He cautioned that AI systems trained largely on Western datasets may not reflect Indian disease patterns and patient profiles, and called for India to move from consuming healthcare AI to developing solutions suited to Indian conditions.
He identified radiology, hospital management, remote healthcare and evidence-based decision-making as the areas where AI adoption would deepen, while surgery and other complex physical tasks would remain a frontier for now.
Medical education, he added, would need to shift focus toward clinical judgement and critical thinking rather than memorisation.
Describing PGIMER as a “true national asset”, Prof Chaturvedi said the institute’s contribution extended well beyond the region.
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Bed strength crosses 3,000
Earlier, PGIMER Director Prof Vivek Lal said the institute’s capacity had risen sharply following the Prime Minister’s inauguration of two new centres on July 17.
“The Advanced Mother & Child Centre and the Advanced Neuroscience Centre directly gave us 800 beds. From 2,200 beds, we have 3,000 beds now,” Prof Lal said.
He said the institute’s waiting lists were shrinking even as patient footfall increased, and cited savings passed on to patients through Ayushman Bharat and Amrit Pharmacy outlets, particularly for prolonged treatments. Prof Lal also pledged support to Banaras Hindu University’s upcoming healthcare centres.
The event was attended by IMTECH Chandigarh Director Dr Alka Rao, former PGIMER Director Prof Yogesh Chawla, Dean (Academics) Prof Sanjay Jain, Dean (Research) Prof Sanjeev Handa, Medical Superintendent Prof Ashok Kumar, and senior faculty, resident doctors and nursing officers. Prof Handa proposed the vote of thanks.
