AI cannot replace moral weight of doctor, says Vice President

Vice President CP Radhakrishnan on Tuesday asserted that no Artificial Intelligence (AI) can replace the moral weight of a doctor at a patient’s bedside and asked the medical practitioners to be “patient with patients”.

Addressing the 51st convocation of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here, he said doctors should not miss the opportunity to study in prestigious institutions abroad, but they must come back to serve their people back home.

He said AI-driven technology is taking over various sectors, including medicine. “But no AI can replace the moral weight of a doctor at the bedside of a patient,” he said. “Your humane touch and a few humble words can cure more than what the medicine can,” the Vice-President told doctors, urging them to be “patient with patients” when they ask foolish questions. “When you explain, they will understand,” he said.

Radhakrishnan noted that the opening of AIIMS in other places has taken healthcare to previously unserved areas, and people from far-off places do not have to rush to Delhi for treatment now.

He also lauded the Union health ministry for opening new medical and nursing colleges in several states to meet the students’ aspirations. Union Health Minister J P Nadda was also present at the function.