Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Oct 3: Robotics is set to expand beyond surgical procedures and become an increasingly important tool across medical specialities, including diagnostics, treatment and therapy, Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh said on Friday.
Addressing the inaugural session of the International Conference of the Society of Robotic Surgery, Singh said robotics, along with artificial intelligence (AI) and nanoscience, would contribute to a broader ecosystem for precision healthcare and precision medicine.
He said robotics should not be viewed as a technology restricted to surgery and would increasingly find applications across different branches of medicine.
“It's a tool. It will happen everywhere,” Singh said, adding that while robotic surgery is currently the main focus, the future could see the emergence of robotic medicine, robotic endocrinology and robotic cardiology, similar to the expanding use of AI across medical specialities.
Singh said medicine was entering a new phase driven by technologies including AI, biotechnology, nuclear medicine, quantum technologies, nanomedicine and robotics.
He said precision medicine would increasingly involve tailoring treatment to individual patients, even when they are diagnosed with the same disease. Genetic profiles, environmental conditions, lifestyles and dietary patterns could increasingly influence medical decision-making, he added.
Referring to the Genome India Programme, Singh said 10,000 individuals had already been sequenced and expressed hope that India could eventually move towards sequencing the genes of every newborn.
He said genetic sequencing on a population of 1.4 billion would require the optimal use of AI and robotics.
Singh also highlighted the potential of nanomedicine in addressing healthcare challenges. Referring to efforts to develop oral insulin, he said advances at the nanoscale could help overcome some limitations associated with conventional drug delivery and open up new treatment possibilities.
The minister also underlined the potential of tele-robotics in improving access to specialist healthcare, particularly in a geographically diverse country like India.
Sharing his experience with robotic ultrasonography, Singh said he had performed an ultrasound on a person located 10,000 kilometres away in Antarctica, demonstrating the possibilities of remotely enabled medical technologies.
“Instead of the patient being referred to the doctor, it will be the doctor being referred to the patient,” he said.
Singh said tele-robotics could enable specialist expertise to reach patients across geographical boundaries, reducing the need for patients to travel long distances to access advanced medical care.
He also pointed to India's changing disease profile, where infectious diseases continue to coexist with metabolic and lifestyle-related disorders. Diseases traditionally associated with later stages of life are increasingly being reported among younger people, he said.
Singh said India's scale and diversity make technologies such as AI, robotics and tele-robotics particularly relevant to healthcare delivery and could support the country's transition towards more precise and personalised medicine.