Z 24 Kalak Health conclave 2026: The first panel discussion under 'Aarogya Samman 2026', organized to honor the eminent personalities who have made unique contributions in the field of healthcare, featured a special discussion with Dr. Geetika Patel, a visionary leader in the field of education and health and Vice President of Parul University and Medical Director of Parul Sevashram Hospital. In this discussion, she spoke in detail about the ground impact of Ayushman Bharat Yojana, increase in medical seats, challenges of rural healthcare and the impact of AI in medical education.

In the health honor of Z 24 Kalak, Dr. Geetika Patel said that Ayushman Bharat is not only India's but also the world's largest public health insurance scheme. About 40% of the country's population (about 50 crore people) is covered under this scheme. "A child born in our hospital after 5 to 6 IVF attempts had a heart problem. The cost of surgery in private was impossible for middle-class parents and there was a long waiting list in the government. Under PM-JAY, the child's complex surgery was completely free and he recovered and went home. In such a situation, we treat more than 5,000 patients free of cost every month."

The need to bridge the communication gap
Clarifying that many patients complain that their cards are not working in private hospitals, he said that empanelment under PM-JAY is voluntary. Small hospitals are registered only for certain treatments (clusters). Patients should use the official portal or helpline of PM-JAY before going to the hospital so that there is no hassle. It is mandatory for every hospital to put up a board with the details of the scheme at the entrance.

Ground report of Ayushman Bharat: This scheme is not only India's but also the world's largest public health insurance scheme. About 40% (50 crore) of the country's population is covered under this. Due to this, the confidence of poor and middle class families to go to private hospitals has increased.

Risk of Google/AI Diagnosis: A common headache symptom can have 50-60 causes ranging from sinusitis to brain tumor. People jump to conclusions on their own after seeing AI prompts or take medicines from medical stores, which makes the disease more serious and ultimately leads the patient to the ICU.

Neglect of preventive health: In India, 70 to 80% of people go to the hospital only when they fall ill or have a crisis. People waste time on outer beauty (salons etc.) but do not get inner health (annual health check-ups) done. Screening is very important to avoid conditions like sudden cardiac arrest or stage-4 cancer.

Craze for MBBS and NEET abroad: Despite a 150% increase in medical seats in India, students go to Russia, Ukraine or China due to the fee structure or not being able to qualify in NEET. But after coming from there, their studies are extended to 8 to 10 years instead of 5.5 years due to licensing exams and internships.

Geographical Inequality
Dr. Patel said that as per WHO rules, the ideal ratio should be 1:1000 (one doctor per thousand). In India, the average ratio has reached around 1:800 to 900 which is good, but in cities this ratio is 1:300 while in villages even today only 1 doctor is available for 12,000 population.

Where is the problem? In rural areas, just the presence of a doctor is not enough, there needs to be a whole ecosystem of ICU, ventilators, biomedical engineers and trend nursing staff. The private sector too will now have to move towards tier-3 and tier-4 cities.

Give up ' outer brilliance', focus on 'inner brilliance' and preventive health.
Expressing concern over the increasing incidence of sudden cardiac arrest and heart attacks among youngsters in today's times, he said that the heart never attacks suddenly, it gives signals long before which we ignore.

"We spend thousands of rupees on going to the salon, i.e. focusing on 'outer brilliance', but do not go to the hospital for preventive health check-ups. Even schemes like health insurance and Ayushman Bharat cover only the indoor (post-admission) expenses. If the government adds annual family health check-ups to these schemes, serious diseases like cancer can be prevented before they reach stage-4 and a huge financial burden can be saved."

4. How dangerous is the trend of Dr. Google and AI (ChatGPT)?
Nowadays, patients self-diagnose and buy medicines directly from medical stores or come to the doctor and ask for a prescription. Warning about this, Dr. Geetika said:

Similar symptoms, different diseases: If you ask AI "I have a headache", it will show 50 diseases ranging from common cold to migraine and brain tumor. The patient gives incomplete details (prompts), so that either he gets scared in the name of brain tumor or ignores a serious disease, mistaking it for a common cold.

Every AI engine writes a disclaimer at the bottom that says "I am not a doctor, medical consultation is required." People should read this and avoid self-medication.

5. Why are Indian students so keen to go abroad (Ukraine-Russia)?
He pointed out two main reasons why students go abroad despite the increase in seats in India:

Merit and NEET Exam: Admission in India is completely merit based. Those who cannot qualify NEET, go abroad because there they get admission on basic criteria.

Economic reasons: The cost of MBBS in Russia, Ukraine or China is lower compared to Indian private colleges.

However, after studying abroad, one has to pass the licensing exam (NEXT/FMGE) and do an internship again in India, which turns the five and a half year course into 8 to 10 years.

At the end of the dialogue, Dr. Geetika Patel gave a very important message to the medical students, saying,
• "There is no such thing as a shortcut in the medical field. When you have a patient in the ICU or emergency room, teetering between life and death,
• You won't have time to open ChatGPT or any AI tool. Only the knowledge and decision-making power you have gained through five and a half to eight years of hard work will save the patient's life.
• "AI is there to increase your efficiency, not replace your intelligence."