The future of healthcare will be defined by how effectively technology is applied

 To your mind, what are the top 3 challenges facing healthcare leaders? 

Healthcare leaders today are operating in an environment where demand is accelerating, expectations are rising, and the margin for error is shrinking. This moment is forcing a fundamental rethink—not just of how care is delivered, but of how health systems are designed, supported, and sustained.

1. a) Human load & workforce well-being

Healthcare delivery is ultimately human-centric. When clinicians are overwhelmed, quality and safety suffer. Global studies show 30–50 per cent of clinician time is lost to non-clinical administrative work At Apollo, we are investing in AI tools to reduce routine administrative burden – from automated documentation to discharge summarisation; freeing up 30 per cent – 40 per cent  like 2–3 hours per day for doctors and nurses to focus on clinical care rather than paperwork. This is already underway across our network as part of an expanded AI rollout to improve efficiency and clinician satisfaction. 

We continue to build culture and support programs that focus on well-being, resilience and mental health, ensuring our care teams remain healthy, engaged and empowered to deliver excellence. We realise how important it is to create intentional moments for connection and gratitude. Simple yet powerful initiatives-like a “Kindness Wall” where staff post notes of appreciation-help break barriers. At Apollo, we’ve also seen the impact of daily huddles where leaders thank teams for their contributions. These practices build a supportive culture where negativity can’t take root, shifting focus from individual survival to collective support.

1. b) Trust and safety at massive scale

In an era of rapid innovation, quality and patient safety cannot be left to chance. Apollo’s AI-enabled real-time patient monitoring and rapid response system was co-developed indigenously to proactively detect early deterioration and trigger clinical action before adverse events occur – a paradigm shift in patient safety and outcomes across high-dependency care units. 

1. c) Inequity- now amplified by digital divides

By 2030, non-communicable diseases will account for nearly 75 per cent of global deaths, yet over 2.5 billion people globally still struggle with digital access or health literacy. If innovation is not inclusive by design, it risks deepening disparities. 

Apollo is building hybrid care models – combining physical hospitals, digital platforms, remote monitoring, and teleconsultation to ensure access is not location-dependent. Through platforms like Apollo 24|7 and community-linked programs, we are enabling continuity of care for millions, ensuring technology expands reach without excluding those who need care the most.

 

How does the theme for the International Health Dialogue 2026, “Global Voices. One Vision.” address these challenges and health concerns of India and our planet?

Global Voices reflects a simple reality: the defining healthcare challenges of our time — workforce fatigue, patient safety, climate stress, and ageing populations — are shared across borders. What differs is how quickly health systems learn from one another, and how effectively solutions travel.

One Vision provides that common anchor. It aligns global learning to a clear outcome: care that is safer, digitally enabled yet deeply human, and resilient in the face of shocks — from pandemics and climate events to supply and system disruptions.

India is uniquely positioned in this conversation. Delivering care to over 200 million lives across 70+ hospitals and thousands of touchpoints, often under intense resource constraints, has forced us to innovate with purpose. Our experience with frugal innovation, AI-enabled safety, and preventive care is not only relevant to India — it offers practical lessons for health systems everywhere.

IHD 2026 is designed as a global learning loop, where diverse health systems move beyond dialogue to action. By bringing together clinicians, policymakers, technologists, and operators, it enables the exchange of proven approaches in AI deployment, patient safety, digital policy, and care delivery — turning global insight into scalable, real-world impact.

 

Since IHD’s overarching theme is to reimagine the future of care, what would you pick as examples where technology has transformed healthcare outcomes, patient safety, and patient experience? 

Healthcare systems globally are at an inflection point. Rising disease burden, ageing populations, and workforce shortages are colliding with growing expectations around quality, safety, and access. In this environment, progress will not be determined by how advanced healthcare technology becomes, but by how effectively it is applied to improve outcomes, protect workforce capacity, and ensure long-term system sustainability.

A key shift underway is the move from reactive care to predictive, preventive, and personalised models, as healthcare can no longer wait for deterioration before intervening—particularly in India, where non-communicable diseases account for over 60 per cent of the disease burden. At Apollo Hospitals, AI-driven monitoring, data platforms, and digital care models such as Apollo 24|7 enable early risk identification and continuous support across the care continuum, reducing avoidable hospitalisation and improving outcomes. At the same time, AI-augmented clinical workflows are helping address workforce strain by automating routine tasks, at a moment when clinicians globally spend 40–50 per cent of their working hours on documentation rather than patient care – restoring time for judgement, safety, and human connection.

Beyond operational efficiency, the next phase of transformation is science-led. Robotic-assisted surgery has demonstrated 20–40 per cent reductions in complication rates and shorter hospital stays by one to two days, outcomes that are critical in a country where over 60 per cent of the population will be of working age by 2047. In oncology, immune-guided therapies are enabling durable remission and reducing downstream healthcare utilisation, at a time when cancer contributes to over USD 1.2 trillion in global productivity loss annually. Chronic diseases already account for more than 70 per cent of global healthcare spending; regenerative therapies offer the potential to restore function rather than manage decline, reducing lifetime care costs by 40–60 per cent in selected conditions.

Together, these shifts clearly signal that integrating digital intelligence, advanced science, and clinical judgement is essential to extend healthspan, protect productivity, and build sustainable healthcare systems for the future.

 

 What are the new elements to the 13th edition of IHD 2026, like the four streams of Clinical CME sessions?

International Health Dialogue 2026 integrates four defining conferences and learning streams under a single umbrella:

1. IPSC – International Patient Safety Conference discusses how proactive practices and healthcare systems can improve patient safety. 
2. HOPE – Healthcare Operations & Patient Experience Conference focuses on operational excellence by integrating efficiency, empathy, and innovation to enhance every touchpoint of the patient journey.
3. THIT – Transforming Healthcare with IT Conference brings together healthcare and IT leaders from around the world to share insights, best practices, and the latest advancements in the industry.  
4. CLINOVATE – Clinical CME Series on Oncology, Cardiology, Women’s Health, Longevity and Laboratory Medicine will offer clinicians and researchers access to high-impact, practice-focused learning led by renowned experts from India and around the world. 

IHD 2026 will focus on three defining dimensions: leadership-driven safety models, human-centered design, digital transformation, and system-wide excellence in hospital operations, patient experience and clinical outcomes.

• A key highlight of this year at IPSC will be Safe-A-Thon—a nationwide movement of hackathons to identify, accelerate, and invest in India’s most breakthrough patient-safety innovations. Shortlisted teams from these rounds will advance to the Grand Pitching Event at IPSC 2026, where finalists will present their innovations before a panel of clinicians, technologists, and healthcare industry leaders. 
• Another highlight is CLINOVATE – the clinical innovation and CME-focused knowledge hub, designed to translate cutting-edge science into real-world clinical impact. It will bring together clinicians, researchers, and innovators to explore advancements that are shaping the future of patient care across four focused verticals- 

1. Women’s Health & Longevity – Advancing holistic, life-course care for women through innovation, prevention, and personalised medicine.
2. Cardiac Sciences – Showcasing breakthroughs in cardiovascular care, technology, and safety-driven clinical excellence.
3. Oncology – Exploring next-generation cancer care, from early detection to precision therapies and survivorship.
4. Laboratory Medicine – Highlighting the critical role of diagnostics, accuracy, and innovation in clinical decision-making.

• We are also introducing THNX Launchpad at THIT (Transforming Healthcare with IT). THNX (Technology & Healthcare Network eXchange) is India’s flagship HealthTech accelerator, designed as a launchpad for high-potential digital health startups. It connects tech-enabled innovators with capital, clinical expertise, hospital networks, mentors, and real-world pilot opportunities to scale solutions that can transform healthcare delivery. By offering curated investor access, pilot programs, and spotlight stages, THNX will help early-stage startups accelerate adoption and impact in the health-tech ecosystem.
• Solvathon 2026 – India’s premier Healthtech Innovation Challenge will be hosted by Apollo Research and Innovations (ARI) and THIT in partnership with IIIT Hyderabad. Over 36 hours of live problem-solving, participants – students, startups, and technologists work on real clinical problem statements with guidance from top mentors in healthtech, AI, medical devices, UX, and clinical innovation. The initiative also offers the chance to co-develop and implement solutions within Apollo Hospitals.