Convergence of technologies can lead to quality and affordable healthcare to plenty of people, especially in remote and rural areas, said Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, former President of India. He was inaugurating the induction of Robot Chitti in the Neuro ICU of Sri Ramachandra University (SRU) hospital in Chennai.

The telerobotics is a collaborative effort of SRU, Wayne State University and Robolytics, both of USA.

Dr Kalam said the robot can help to automate many interventions at the ICU in a much better way so that more clean environment is provided to the patients. Convergence of nano, bio and information technologies hold great promise for future health care delivery especially for the people in rural and remote areas. With material convergence and biotechnology linked, a new  science called intelligent bioscience will be born which would lead to a disease free, happy and more intelligent human habitat with longevity and high human capabilities. This can also lead to nano robots which when injected into a patient can diagnose and deliver the treatment exclusively in the affected area and get digested in the body itself. It can check the vital signs regularly and help to maintain one’s health and reduce the medication, he said.

Interacting with students at the university, Dr Kalam underlined six essential virtues for all healthcare personnel – generosity, ethics, tolerance, perseverance, pure concentration on the patient and intelligence that comes with constant upgradation of knowledge.

Chancellor of the University, V R Venkataachalam felicitated the distinguished guest.

Dr Ramesh Madhavan of Wayne State University Physician’s Group, USA said when in 2007 Telemedicine was introduced for acute stroke  management in a Detroit based hospital, people thought that it was a mad venture. But today Wayne Patient’s group is the largest telemedicine network in USA with 34 hospitals in Michigan State providing healthcare facilities to people in areas without specialists. Robotics, he said, has a great future in India for patient-family social interface where patients can be isolated and infections can be reduced resulting in quicker recovery at a lesser cost.

Dr K Selvakumar, HOD, Neuro Surgery and chairman, Telemedicine said Sri Ramachandra University is a pioneer in telemedicine and tele-medical education in the country. In India, there are only 1200 neuro surgeons, whereas in USA there are 24,000 and in Japan 22,000 neuro surgeons.  Therefore telemedicine is the only way for people in rural areas to get the consultation and treatment from specialists who are urban based, he added.