Kochi, Sep 12 (PTI) Rising life expectancy must be accompanied by long-term planning for healthier lives, Keralam Chief Minister V D Satheesan said on Saturday.
With diabetes, high blood pressure and other lifestyle diseases increasing, greater emphasis should be placed on prevention and early detection of cardiovascular disease alongside advances in treatment, he said.
Inaugurating ICCCON 2026, the 33rd National Conference of the Indian College of Cardiology here, the chief minister said changing food habits and lifestyles needed serious attention.
Keralam also has to prepare for demographic changes as the proportion of senior citizens increases. Healthcare planning should therefore look beyond treating disease and help people remain healthy and productive through longer lives, he said.
Medical science, meanwhile, is going through an unprecedented expansion of knowledge, with new discoveries and technologies rapidly changing diagnosis and treatment, Sateesan said.
Artificial intelligence, nanotechnology and other emerging technologies could significantly influence the future of healthcare. Governments and professional bodies must anticipate these changes, continually update medical knowledge and plan for the healthcare needs of the future, he added.
More than 300 cardiologists from across India, along with international faculty from Germany, the United States, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Brunei, are participating in the conference. PTI LGK KH
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