Integrity, public service still core to medicine: speaker at Gajaraj Memorial Oration

Amid increasing pressures in healthcare — both technological and systemic — the values of clinical integrity, ethical judgement, humility, and public service remain relevant, said S. Rajasekaran, chairman, Department of Orthopaedics, Ganga Hospital, Coimbatore.

He was delivering the 21^st Professor Arcot Gajaraj Memorial Oration held in Chennai, marking the 100^th birth anniversary of Arcot Gajaraj (1925-2003), Indian radiologist and medical educator who played a major role in shaping radiology and imaging sciences in the country.

Reflecting on Dr. Gajaraj’s work, Dr. Rajasekaran said how these values, which consistently guided Dr. Gajaraj’s practice, remain vital today, particularly as increasing pressures weigh on healthcare.

He also spoke about how the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) has changed the doctor-patient relationship, noting that today, “information is available to all, and everyone is, in some way, a medical learner.” He spoke of the promise of AI, including instances where systems have scanned large global datasets in seconds to help diagnose rare conditions, while cautioning against unfiltered online content and over-reliance on automated interpretation.

In her welcome address, A. Jaishree Gajaraj, senior consultant in Obstetrics and Gynaecology and chairperson of the Target Foundation and Kausalya Gajaraj Charitable Trust, spoke about the shared life of service of her parents, Dr. Arcot Gajaraj and Dr. Kausalya Gajaraj. She recalled how both believed that medicine must be rooted in compassion, access, and dignity, and how their work shaped community health practices in Chennai.

Panel on AI

A panel discussion on ‘The Role of Doctors in the Age of Google, ChatGPT and Artificial Intelligence’ followed, exploring the evolving dynamics between patients and physicians, as medical information becomes more widely accessible. Speakers emphasised that while digital tools can help in diagnosis and learning, the clinician’s role in interpretation, continuity of care, and humane connection remains central.

Wilfred Davidar, retired IAS officer and public policy and business strategist; T.T. Srinivasa Raghavan, retired managing director, Sundaram Finance; P.V. Jayasankar, head, Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Sundaram Medical Foundation; and V. Jayanthi, senior consultant in Medical Gastroenterology were also present.

Attendees were invited to scan a QR code to share personal memories, anecdotes, and photographs of Dr. Gajaraj, contributing to a collective digital tribute for his centenary year.