Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh Addresses APICON 2024, Receives Honorary Fellowship

New Delhi: Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh graced the 35th Convocation ceremony of the esteemed Indian College of Physicians and the 79th Annual Conference of the Association of Physicians in India (APICON 2024) in New Delhi. Serving as the Chief Guest, Dr. Jitendra Singh, a Professor of Medicine & Endocrinology, was honored with the title of honorary Fellowship of the Indian College of Physicians, acknowledging his lifelong dedication to medicine, academics, and research.

Expressing his sentiments at the event, Dr. Jitendra Singh stated, “Attending the Annual conference of Physicians is like a homecoming and is very close to his heart.” He highlighted how APICON provides him with an opportunity to reconnect with his fraternity despite his demanding schedule.

Addressing the gathering, Dr. Jitendra Singh emphasized India’s increasing prominence in ‘Preventive Healthcare’ under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision. He commended India’s success in the indigenous development of a DNA-based vaccine by collaborating with the private sector and conducting the world’s largest Covid vaccination drive.

Dr. Jitendra Singh underscored the role of technology in healthcare, advocating for the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning tools to harness their potential. He shared an ongoing experiment in his constituency, where a ‘Mobile Tele-clinic’ collaborates with hospitals in metros, utilizing an ‘AI Doctor’ to communicate with patients. While acknowledging the challenges posed by these technologies, he emphasized their conversion into opportunities.

The Union Minister asserted that affordable healthcare for all is guaranteed under PM Modi’s leadership, with initiatives to vaccinate adolescent school-going girls against Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) and efforts to address both communicable and non-communicable diseases.

Dr. Jitendra Singh lauded PM Modi’s support for Digital Healthcare and highlighted the progress of the National Digital Health Mission. He stressed the importance of maintaining human contact, drawing from the success of India’s grievance redressal system, which has addressed around 2 lakh grievances. The introduction of a human feedback mechanism ensures satisfaction among complainants.

Reflecting on India’s technological achievements, Dr. Jitendra Singh mentioned Chandrayaan-3, India’s lunar mission, which reached the South Pole of the moon, showcasing the country’s prowess in space exploration.

Tracing the history of the Association of Physicians in India (API) before Independence, Dr. Jitendra Singh commended its growth and legacy. He recalled his consistent contributions to the API textbook until 2014, emphasizing the importance of maintaining the conference’s tradition and contributing to India’s healthcare future.

President API, Dr. Milind Nadkar, and Dr. R.K Singh, Dean, Indian College of Physicians (ICP), expressed gratitude to Dr. Jitendra Singh for his presence and guidance, ensuring a healthy future for India.