In a captivating fireside chat moderated by Dr. Naveen Nishchal, Founder of Voice of Healthcare, Dr. Naresh Trehan, Chairman and MD of Medanta – The Medicity, shared insights from his remarkable journey in cardiac care. Reflecting on his decision to return to India in 1988, Dr. Trehan revealed that witnessing outdated treatments during his medical student days at King George’s Medical College inspired him to build a modern cardiac ecosystem in India.
After training and teaching in the U.S., he realized that Indian patients often traveled abroad for surgeries that could be performed at home. This led to the establishment of the Escorts Heart Institute, built entirely with Indian talent, which quickly became a benchmark in cardiac care. Dr. Trehan stressed that India’s strength lies not in knowledge but in creating the right ecosystem, fostering innovation, and nurturing talent.
He spoke about the evolving healthcare landscape, noting that while schemes like Ayushman Bharat and the growth of private insurance have improved access, challenges like rising costs and infrastructure gaps remain. According to Dr. Trehan, doubling healthcare capacity, expanding coverage, and containing costs are crucial for India to achieve a high-quality, scalable healthcare system.
Highlighting the role of mindset and passion in medicine, Dr. Trehan encouraged young doctors to focus on continuous learning, teaching others, and pursuing excellence. He stressed that innovation is less about genius and more about observing inefficiencies and solving real problems. Preventive care, he noted, is key—early checkups, genome sequencing, and health profiling can detect risks like hypertension or genetic predispositions before they become life-threatening.
Dr. Trehan also praised technological innovations such as remote health monitoring, emphasizing that these tools are only useful if they help people understand and manage their health. He concluded by urging India to leverage its talent, embrace innovation, and aim for self-reliance in healthcare, reminding listeners that the human drive to improve and uplift others remains the cornerstone of medical progress.