Chandigarh:
Artificial Intelligence will fundamentally transform healthcare by augmenting the capabilities of doctors, enabling greater knowledge, efficiency and reach,” stated the Chief Guest Prof. Ajit Kumar Chaturvedi , Hon’ble Vice-Chancellor, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi at the 63rd Institute Foundation Day celebrations of PGIMER, Chandigarh, held at NINE Auditorium.
The Foundation Day celebrations were attended by dignitaries including Dr. Alka Rao, Director, IMTECH Chandigarh, Prof. Yogesh Chawla, Former Director, PGIMER, Prof. Sanjay Jain, Dean (Academics), Prof. Sanjeev Handa, Dean (Research), Prof. Ashok Kumar, Medical Superintendent-cum-Head, Department of Hospital Administration, Sh. Ravinder Singh, Financial Advisor, former and present Deans, Heads of Departments, senior faculty, resident doctors, nursing officers and members of the PGIMER fraternity.
Delivering the Foundation Day address on “ AI in Healthcare”, Prof. Chaturvedi described PGIMER as a “true national asset” and lauded its pioneering contributions to healthcare, education, research and innovation.
“ PGIMER Chandigarh is, without doubt, a true national asset—not limited to one region, but making a significant contribution to healthcare, education, research and innovation across the country. I congratulate each and every member of the PGIMER family for this remarkable journey and for keeping the institution at the forefront of Indian healthcare,” said Prof. Chaturvedi.
Emphasising that AI should be viewed as an enabler rather than a replacement for medical professionals, Prof. Chaturvedi said, “The most successful healthcare deployments today are not examples of AI replacing doctors. They are examples of AI helping doctors perform at their best.”
Vice Chancellor BHU noted that AI had moved beyond being a technological novelty and was making deep inroads into healthcare, research and decision-making. “AI is no more something like a fashionable toy or something that is a status symbol. It has made very deep inroads in the market, and naturally, we cannot be just watching it from a distance,” he observed.
Highlighting its potential to process vast volumes of medical information, he said AI could assist doctors in extracting information from clinical records, pathology reports and scientific literature. “The assistant does not replace expertise, but it dramatically expands the amount of knowledge a physician can effectively utilise,” he said.
On medical research, Prof. Chaturvedi observed, “The real transformation is that researchers can now ask questions that were previously too expensive or time-consuming to investigate.”
Prof. Chaturvedi also cautioned against adopting AI without considering Indian healthcare realities. AI systems trained predominantly on Western datasets may not adequately reflect Indian disease patterns, patient populations and clinical practices. He stressed the need for India to move from being merely a consumer of healthcare AI to becoming a creator of solutions rooted in Indian realities.
Prof. Chaturvedi highlighted AI’s potential in remote healthcare, radiology, hospital management and evidence-based decision-making, while noting that complex physical tasks such as surgery remain a frontier for further development. He also stressed that medical education would increasingly focus on clinical judgement, evidence evaluation, critical thinking and patient communication rather than memorisation alone.
Concluding, Prof. Chaturvedi said, “The first generation of AI helped humans find information. The next generation is helping humans make decisions. The generation after that will help humans take action.”
Earlier, Prof. Vivek Lal, Director, PGIMER, highlighted the Institute’s remarkable expansion, growing patient capacity, affordable healthcare initiatives and declining waiting lists.
Referring to the recent inauguration of two major centres by the Prime Minister, Prof. Lal said, “ The Prime Minister inaugurated two major centres on July 17th, which was a boost in our arm. 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 for taking care of our patients.”
Highlighting PGIMER’s commitment to affordable healthcare, Prof. Lal said, “We don’t see that we have spent five lakhs. We don’t see how much we have saved in crores.”
Describing the Institute’s standing among leading global institutions, Prof. Lal said, “I consider PGI as one of the best institutions in the world. I will not say everything is 100% fine here, but considering our infrastructure, considering our patient trust, I think we are miles ahead of many top institutes across the world.”
Director PGIMER credited the Institute’s dedicated workforce for its continued progress and highlighted PGIMER’s commitment to strengthening infrastructure, diagnostic services, manpower and collaborations with emerging healthcare institutions.
Highlighting PGIMER’s commitment to making advanced healthcare affordable, Prof. Lal spoke about the benefits reaching patients through Ayushman Bharat and the availability of affordable generic medicines through Amrit Pharmacy outlets. He noted that the savings generated for patients run into crores, particularly in the treatment of serious and prolonged illnesses.
Pointing to improving service delivery despite increasing patient footfall, Prof. Lal said, “You must have seen, our waiting list is decreasing day by day. The patient rush is increasing. The waiting list is decreasing. So, PGI is moving in the right direction.”
On institutional collaboration, particularly with BHU, he assured continued support, saying, “We promise you all help of any kind for BHU. You just name it and we will do it. We are very happy to help and handhold centres.”
Thirty-five PGIMER employees were honoured by Chief Guest Prof. Ajit Kumar Chaturvedi, along with Prof. Vivek Lal, Director; Prof. Sanjay Jain, Dean (Academics); and Prof. Sanjiv Handa, Dean (Research), for their outstanding service. The awardees were presented appreciation certificates and mementoes:
Mr. Alel Singh Negi, Hospital Attendant, Histopathology
Mr. Sushil Kumar, Hospital Attendant, Training Branch
Mr. Bhuram Singh, Hospital Attendant, Cytology & Gynae Pathology
Mr. Sate Singh, Hospital Attendant, Physiotherapy
Mr. Pratap Chand, Hospital Attendant, General Branch
Mr. Durga Singh, Hospital Attendant, Office of Deputy Director (Admn.)
Mr. Kiran Pal, MTS (Sanitation), Office of Sr. Admn. Officer
Mr. Vinod Kumar, MTS (Sanitation), Forensic Medicine
Mr. Dhan Singh, MTS (Sanitation), Central Animal House
Mr. Deepak, MTS (Sanitation), Medical Microbiology
Mr. Sonu, MTS (Sanitation), Medical Record Department
Mr. Kali Das, Mali, Engineering Department
Mr. Rajinder Singh, Work Inspector, Engineering Department
Mr. Surinder Kumar, Security Guard, Security Department
Mr. Paramjit Singh, Assistant Administrative Officer, General Branch
Mr. Ashok Kumar, Junior Administrative Officer, Establishment Branch-I
Mr. Ravjit Singh, Senior Lab Technician, Biochemistry
Ms. Lalita Arora, Technical Assistant, Hepatology
Mr. Ashwani Kumar, Senior Lab Technician, Gastroenterology
Mr. Mandeep Saini, Senior Lab Technician, Pulmonary Medicine
Mr. Ominder Kumar, Private Secretary, Pediatrics
Ms. Rajni Gupta, Senior Nursing Officer, Pulmonary Medicine
Ms. Reeta, Officiating DNS, Nursing (Infection Control)
Ms. Jyoti, Senior Nursing Officer, Clinical Hematology & Medical Oncology
Ms. Manpreet Kaur, Nursing Officer, APC PICU
Ms. Rajni, Nursing Officer, Renal Transplant OT
Mr. Rajesh, Nursing Officer, Pediatric Gastroenterology Ward
Mr. Lalit Chand Pant, Junior Administrative Officer, Establishment Branch-II
Mr. Sachin Sharma, Senior Administrative Assistant, Establishment Branch-II
Ms. Shweta, Senior Administrative Assistant, Establishment Branch-II
Mr. Vivek Kumar, Senior Administrative Assistant, Establishment Branch-II
Ms. Surbhi Sharma, Junior Administrative Assistant, Establishment Branch-I
Mr. Sourabh Sharma, Junior Administrative Assistant, Establishment Branch-II
Ms. Ambika Saini, Administrative Officer, Establishment Branch-I & II
Ms. Anand Yadav, Assistant Administrative Officer, Recruitment Cell
Prof. Sanjeev Handa, Dean (Research), PGIMER, proposed the vote of thanks, formally concluding the celebrations.
