New Delhi [India], June 29 (ANI): Union Minister of State for Science & Technology, Dr. Jitendra Singh, on Saturday called for a “synergized, inclusive, and futuristic” healthcare model as India moves toward its development goals under the Viksit Bharat @2047 vision. Speaking at the ET Times Now Doctor’s Day Conclave, the Minister emphasized India’s emergence at the forefront of a global health-tech revolution, highlighting achievements from space medicine to gene therapy.
In a keynote address, Singh cited Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla’s mission to the International Space Station, equipped with indigenous life science kits, as a historic milestone. “Very soon, we might have a dedicated stream in medical academics called Space Physicians,” he said, underscoring the need to prepare for emerging frontiers in healthcare.
India, he said, faces a “bi-phasic demographic challenge”—managing a growing elderly population with increasing life expectancy alongside a youthful demographic, with over 70% of the population under age 40. Singh pointed out that the life span, once 50–55 years in 1947, has now reached close to 80, making preventive and precision healthcare more critical than ever.
India’s dual disease burden—both communicable and non-communicable—necessitates mass screening and early detection, Singh noted, calling for stronger public-private partnerships and advanced technology integration, including AI, machine learning, and telemedicine.
The Minister highlighted India’s global healthcare breakthroughs, including the world’s first DNA-based COVID-19 vaccine, the HPV vaccine for cervical cancer prevention, and the first gene therapy trial for haemophilia, published in the New England Journal of Medicine. He also announced the launch of Nafithromycin, India’s first indigenously developed antibiotic molecule.
“These achievements,” Singh said, “were possible due to the seamless integration of public and private sectors from the outset.”
Emphasizing institutional innovation, he revealed that IIT Kanpur and IISc Bengaluru plan to establish medical schools within their campuses, advancing interdisciplinary research and holistic education. He also praised models such as Ayushman Bharat and institutions like Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, which blend research, clinical care, and manufacturing.
In oncology, Singh hailed the Tata Memorial Centre for adopting fully digital, cashless operations and targeting advanced therapies like precision radiation. He also cited sanitation innovations at massive public gatherings such as the Kumbh Mela, where radiation-based faecal sludge treatment plants served over 40 crore pilgrims without health hazards.
On climate-resilient healthcare, Singh noted the launch of Mission Mausam, focusing on early warning systems for health risks linked to climate-related disasters.
Concluding his address, Singh called for stronger collaboration across academia, industry, research institutions, and government. He urged early-stage industry involvement to ensure healthcare sustainability and scalability, while preserving the human element in medicine.
“Let us not hand over everything to the technocrats. A bit of the doctor must remain,” Singh remarked. “We must carry forward both the science and the soul of medicine.” (ANI)
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