The Indian Spinal Injuries Centre (ISIC) in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi, the Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH) and the University of Toledo recently organized a three day conference on Clinical Orthopedics & Spine Biomechanics in New Delhi.

In a bid to augment the development of world-class medical technology in India and ensure indigenous implants meet the global standards, ISIC will set up a world-class laboratory to test their quality.

Dr. H S Chhabra, Medical Director of Indian Spinal Injuries Centre, New Delhi at the said, “Implants developed in India often do not match up to the international standards. There is no comprehensive implant testing laboratory in India now. The implants developed in India do not go through the rigorous quality checks and we are largely dependent on imports for quality implants most of which are designed for Caucasian population and may not suit the Indian body types. We will collaborate with premier institutions such as IITs to develop this laboratory and ensure products complying with international standard. I thank the faculty members and engineers from India and abroad to help us set up this first-of-its kind laboratory in India.”

Medical fraternity converged at the inauguration of the three-day event emphasized on the importance of artificial intelligence (AI) and technological advancement for customized products and better services, and hoped that the increasing importance of healthcare in election campaigns and overall political discourse will provide the necessary impetus.

Dr. A K Mukherjee, Director General of Indian Spinal Injuries Centre said, “The sustainable development goals (SDGs) have a social aspect and healthcare is at the heart of social development. If we look around the world, health has become an important issue in the election – elections in the US, the UK, Turkey, Japan and India have seen focus on healthcare programs. This creates a great momentum for the development of the healthcare services and bringing more people with disability to the mainstream.”

“Artificial intelligence has become the new electricity. Our healthcare development is centered around technical development. Along with AI, technological development will play a very critical role in evolving evidence-based understanding. We got a National Healthcare Policy after 14 years and the NITI Aayog is developing a program on healthcare that is AI-based to a great extent. Biotech is another area that holds a lot of promise but developing its experimental side will need a lot of investment – by 2030, an estimated $ 6 trillion will be used for healthcare programs, mainly due to the rapid spread of non-communicable diseases,” adds Dr. Mukherjee.

Dr. H P S Ahluwalia, Chairman of Indian Spinal Injuries Centre said, “A lot has changed in past 40 - 50 years in India – I have never heard of AI in healthcare. I am very happy to see so many youngsters here today and would like them to contribute to this pioneering research.”

Hailing the efforts if ISIC in setting up a biomechanics laboratory at the premises, Dr. Patrick Kluger, an eminent spine surgeon from Germany says, “Biomechanics laboratories and clinics remain disconnected, mostly. It is important that both biomechanics and clinics are available in one place for a better implementation of the new developments.”

Workshops as parallel sessions with demonstrations on various orthopedic and spinal problems was also the part of the conference.