Healing with the Heart

Every year on July 1, India celebrates National Doctors’ Day, a day to honour the dedication, compassion, and resilience of the medical community. This date commemorates the birth and death anniversary of the legendary physician, Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy, one of India’s most respected doctors and former Chief Minister of West Bengal.

How many doctors do we have in India?
As of 2024, India has over 13 lakh registered allopathic (MBBS, MD, DM) doctors. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the ideal doctor-patient ratio is 1:1000. India hovers around 1:834 in urban areas, but there is a huge disparity in the rural regions, indicating that we still need significant improvement.

The Rise of AI in Healthcare

AI is reshaping how medicine is practised right from improving diagnostic accuracy to streamlining medical workflows.

Here are a few ways AI is currently aiding doctors:

• Medical notes and summaries: AI tools can transcribe and summarise patient-doctor interactions, saving time.
• Precision imaging: AI is outperforming human eyes in interpreting MRIs, CT scans, and X-rays in some cases.
• Surgical assistance: In some operating rooms, AI-powered robotic systems assist surgeons with pinpoint accuracy, reducing error rates.
• Medical education: AI platforms help medical students by customising learning.
• (VHA) Virtual Health Assistants: Chatbots symptom checkers can help triage patients, provide basic health advice, and reduce clinic loads.
• (CME) Customised Medical Education: AI platforms help medical students learn smarter by offering simulations, case-based learning, and adaptive quizzes.
• Remote monitoring: Wearables and home devices powered by AI help doctors monitor patients with chronic illnesses in real time.

These advancements are transforming the medical landscape by enhancing efficiency and accuracy, allowing doctors to focus more on critical thinking and human connection.

Will AI replace doctors?

The short answer is: Not anytime soon.

While AI can process data faster and more accurately than humans, medicine is not just a science—it’s also an art. Empathy, ethical decision-making, contextual judgment, and building trust with patients cannot be coded into an algorithm so far.

Empowering Patients through AI

AI isn’t just for doctors. Patients too, can harness its power to be more informed and active participants in their healthcare.

• Prepare notes for doctor visit: Use AI chat tools to summarise your symptoms, medical history, and questions.
• Summarise reports: Upload lab results or discharge summaries to AI apps to get easy-to-understand explanations that can be shared with your doctor.
• Track health data: Use health apps integrated with AI to log vitals, symptoms, and medications for chronic care.
• Centralised medical records: AI-based platforms can help collate and tabulate your reports, making it easier for multiple doctors to view your history at once.

However, it’s crucial to use AI wisely as a support system, not a substitute. Always double-check information, and never skip professional medical advice in favour of online suggestions.

A New Era of Doctor-Patient Collaboration

The evolution of doctors isn’t about being replaced, it’s about being redefined. The doctor of tomorrow is not just a healer but a data analyst, educator, team leader, and tech-savvy communicator. Similarly, patients are no longer passive recipients of care. With digital tools at their fingertips, they can ask better questions, understand treatment plans, and even detect issues earlier.

The future of healthcare is collaborative, not competitive—where AI, doctors, and patients all work together for better outcomes.

Doctor’s Day

Let us honour our doctors not just with gratitude but with support for innovation, empathy, and better systems. Instead of fearing AI, the future of healthcare lies in embracing it as a collaborator. Just like stethoscopes and MRIs changed how doctors diagnose, AI will change how doctors think, plan, and practice. The evolution of medicine is a constant and for the greater good of mankind.

Dr Dutta is a Consultant Neuro Psychiatrist & Life Wellness coach (MD Psychiatry, DNB, MBBS) and expertises in depression, anxiety, OCD and stress.
Send your questions to help@dreradutta.com