Healthcare professionals should embrace rapid advancements in artificial intelligence, precision medicine and digital health while preserving the core values of empathy and compassion, said C. Narasimhan, Director of Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology Services at AIG Hospitals, Hyderabad.

Addressing students at the joint 29th and 30th convocation ceremonies of Dr. NTR University of Health Sciences (Dr. NTRUHS) held at Thummalapalli Kalakshetram in Vijayawada on Tuesday, Dr. Narasimhan, the chief guest, said that while technology can enhance healthcare delivery, it can never replace the trust, kindness and reassurance that patients seek from doctors.

He noted that continuous innovation in medical science, particularly in cardiac care, has transformed many previously untreatable conditions into manageable diseases, underscoring the need for healthcare professionals to constantly update their knowledge and skills.

Delivering the Chancellor’s address, Andhra Pradesh Governor and Chancellor of Dr. NTRUHS S. Abdul Nazeer said healthcare is a profession where science meets humanity and that graduating medical students have a duty to uphold the highest standards of professional excellence, ethical conduct and compassionate service.

Welcoming the State government’s initiative to establish the Disease Modelling and Decision Intelligence Centre (DMDC) under the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) at the university, the Governor said the centre would help Andhra Pradesh adopt global best practices in disease modelling and artificial intelligence-driven healthcare systems.

He said the proposed centre would bring together experts from medical colleges and universities across the State and provide systematic training in disease modelling and predictive analytics.

At the convocation ceremonies for the academic years 2024 and 2025, the university conferred 123 gold medals, 39 silver medals and 37 endowment awards. Dr. Narasimhan presented the medals to meritorious undergraduate and postgraduate students from medical colleges across the State.

Dr. Narasimhan was conferred the Honorary Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) degree at the 29th convocation, while P. C. Rath, Director and Head of Cardiac Sciences at Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad, received the Honorary Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) degree at the 30th convocation.

Highlighting the achievements of the university, Vice-Chancellor P. Chandra Sekhar emphasised the growing role of artificial intelligence in healthcare and urged graduates to embrace technological advancements while upholding compassion, ethics and patient-centric care.

Director of Medical Education A. Vishnu Vardhan, Registrar T. Sai Sudheer, students, parents and health officials attended the programme.