At a recent webinar titled ‘Allied Health and Nursing: Backbone of Modern Healthcare,’ Helen Shaji J.C., Dean of SRM College of Nursing, highlighted the surging demand for nursing professionals in India and overseas. Dr. Shaji attributed this growth to the rising burden of chronic diseases, an ageing population, and the continuous expansion of hospital infrastructure, besides an acute shortage of healthcare workers globally.

The event was held on Monday (May 11, 2026), as part of the Future Career Conversations Series, jointly organised by The Hindu and SRM Institute of Science and Technology. Dr. Shaji also emphasised the need for policy support for nurses, stating that the nurse-to-patient ratio is low in many institutions.

Mary Marjeri, Chief Nursing Officer at Naruvi Hospitals, Vellore, explained that even as demand rises, there are training challenges that must be addressed in nursing, especially in light of the integration of AI into healthcare. Nursing students struggle with skill gaps when entering the real world, as do experienced nurses when they move into a high-technology environment. She suggested that organisations must have a robust transition-to-practice programme that provides adequate support and mentorship to young nurses.

Allied health professionals, who provide essential diagnostic, technical, therapeutic, and rehabilitative care, play a vital role in maintaining a collaborative and multidisciplinary healthcare system, said D. Jagadeswaran, Dean, Allied Health Sciences, SRM Medical College Hospital & Research Centre, Chennai. Dr. Jagadeswaran expanded on the various specialisations in allied healthcare – such as medical laboratory and life sciences, trauma care, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and community care – and emphasised that allied healthcare professionals no longer don a supporting role in the medical ecosystem, but function as key players, thanks to various government initiatives.

Role of AI

Rashmi Shukla, Senior Scientist in the Division of Genetics, Department of Pediatrics at AIIMS, New Delhi, elaborated on the role of AI in allied healthcare, stating that it empowers professionals by enhancing diagnosis, optimising personalised care, and predicting outcomes to improve overall access to healthcare. She stressed the importance of tech-driven education, and iterated that it is not an attempt to replace professionals, but rather to ease fatigue by handing over the repetitive workload to AI.

The session was moderated by Meenakshy S., Principal Correspondent, The Hindu.