Dr. Nageshwar Reddy Delivers 12th Ganga Hospital Founder’s Oration

The 12th Ganga Hospital Founder’s Oration was delivered by Padma Vibhushan Dr. D. Nageshwar Reddy, Chairman and Chief of Gastroenterology, Asian Institute of Gastroenterology and AIG Hospitals, Hyderabad, in Coimbatore, yesterday.
Other dignitaries present on the occasion included ,Dr. Nandini Rangaswamy, Founder Trustee, GRG Trust; Dr. S. Raja Sabapathy, Chairman, Division of Plastic Surgery, Hand Surgery, Reconstructive Microsurgery and Burns, Ganga Hospital; and Dr. S. Rajasekaran, Chairman, Department of Orthopaedics, Trauma and Spine Surgery, Ganga Hospital.
Delivering the oration on the theme ‘Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare in Our Country’, Dr. Nageshwar Reddy lauded Ganga Hospital for its outstanding contribution to healthcare, describing it as an institution of global repute. He noted that the name Ganga had become synonymous with excellence in orthopaedics across the world. Highlighting the growing role of Artificial Intelligence (AI), he identified healthcare, education and agriculture as three sectors poised for major transformation. Drawing from AIG Hospitals’ experience in adopting AI, he explained its applications in healthcare management, predictive medicine, patient data analysis, diagnostics and clinical decision-making.
He also highlighted its potential in drug discovery, genomics, microbiome research and mobile health monitoring. He outlined the challenges associated with AI adoption, including data privacy, trust, ethics, availability of expertise, organisational readiness and scalability, stressing the importance of responsible implementation.
Calling upon young doctors to continuously upgrade their knowledge and adapt to emerging technologies, Dr. Reddy observed that AI would make a significant impact on healthcare over the next ten years. However, he emphasised that empathy, compassion and the human touch would remain integral to medical practice, with AI complementing rather than replacing human intelligence. The keynote address was followed by an interactive question-and-answer session.
In her address, Dr. Nandini Rangaswamy highlighted Ganga Hospital’s contribution to Coimbatore and its standing as a nationally and internationally recognised healthcare institution. She noted that the hospital reflected the city’s entrepreneurial vision, strong ethical values and commitment to service, while bringing Coimbatore recognition as an important healthcare destination. She also acknowledged Dr. Nageshwar Reddy’s contribution to placing Indian healthcare and clinical research on the global map. His achievements in bringing together clinical excellence, research and affordable patient care were an example of how vision and scientific advancement could help build institutions of international standards. She drew parallels between his journey and Ganga Hospital’s own pursuit of global excellence. Earlier, in his welcome address, Dr. Raja Sabapathy traced the journey of Ganga Hospital from its modest beginning in 1972 to its present position as a leading healthcare institutiona. He also recalled the eminent personalities from various fields who had delivered the Founder’s Oration in previous years. He highlighted Dr. Nageshwar Reddy’s achievements and noted that his presence and insights would inspire others to build institutions of excellence for the benefit of society. Dr. S. Rajasekaran proposed the vote of thanks.