Women’s healthcare must go beyond maternal care: Delhi L-G
Delhi Lieutenant Governor (L-G) Taranjit Singh Sandhu on Sunday called for a broader, life-course approach to women’s healthcare, saying medical care must move beyond maternal health to encompass prevention, early diagnosis, treatment, research and awareness at every stage of a woman’s life.
Inaugurating the 48th annual conference of the Association of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists of Delhi (AOGD), the L-G said Delhi, with some of the country’s leading medical institutions, had a responsibility to emerge as a hub for medical research, innovation, training and public-health leadership, besides advanced treatment.
The L-G said this year's conference theme, “With HER: Heal, Empower, Respect... Every Step of the Way”, captures the need for a life-course approach to women's healthcare, with the work of obstetricians and gynaecologists spanning every stage of a woman's life, from adolescence and reproductive health to pregnancy, childbirth and ageing. He said women's healthcare must therefore go beyond maternal care to bring together prevention, early diagnosis, clinical care, research, and awareness.
Quoting Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remark that “Our mothers and sisters, our women power, are the main basis of the nation's progress”, Sandhu said women's health was central to India's social and economic progress. He said investment in women's health is therefore an investment in India's human capital and future.
The L-G acknowledged the progress made in maternal and reproductive healthcare, but flagged persistent challenges, including anaemia, high-risk pregnancies and cancers affecting women, along with disparities in access to quality care.
He also stressed the need to encourage women to seek medical advice at an early stage instead of waiting for symptoms to worsen. Doctors, he said, have a role not only as healthcare providers but also as educators and trusted sources of information.
Highlighting the growing role of technology, Sandhu said artificial intelligence, advanced imaging, telemedicine and data-driven research could improve diagnosis and personalised care. He, however, stressed that research must remain rooted in India's own population and healthcare needs.
He called for greater collaboration among hospitals, medical institutions, universities and policymakers to translate medical knowledge into better clinical outcomes, adding that conferences such as the AOGD's provided an important platform for such exchanges.
Addressing young doctors and postgraduate trainees, the L-G said they faced both extraordinary opportunities and responsibilities, requiring them to continuously learn and adapt to emerging technologies while retaining empathy and understanding the person behind the patient.
He also underlined the public health dimension of women's healthcare, calling for greater awareness about nutrition, reproductive health, vaccination and cancer screening among women across sections of society.
