Veteran cancer surgeon Dr P Jagannath has urged the medical community to restore the human touch in healthcare as technology, diagnostic scans and commercial health check-ups increasingly shape medical practice. Drawing on four decades of experience, the surgeon, who helped establish hepatopancreatobiliary (HPB) surgery in India, emphasised that doctors must put patients’ needs, experiences and wellbeing at the centre of medical care. “We have to make medicine patient-centric,” Dr Jagannath said during the launch of his memoir.
Human Connection Remains Central to Medical Practice
Dr Jagannath, who spent decades working at Tata Memorial Hospital, stressed the need to restore the values that make medicine a respected and compassionate profession. “Human touch is the most important thing in medical practice,” he said, highlighting the importance of empathy, communication and understanding patients’ experiences alongside clinical expertise and technological advances. According to the surgeon, modern healthcare must go beyond diagnosing diseases and administering treatment. Doctors should also recognise the emotional, physical and social challenges that patients and their families face throughout the treatment journey.
Personal Experience Shaped His Approach to Cancer Care
Dr Jagannath’s perspective on cancer care changed significantly when his mother experienced the disease. Seeing cancer from a caregiver’s perspective helped him understand the uncertainty, distress and suffering that patients and their families endure. “It made me realise that whatever we were doing in medicine was not enough. We needed to go beyond treatment,” he said. This experience strengthened his belief that effective healthcare must combine medical intervention with reliable information, emotional support and greater patient awareness.
India Cancer Initiative Expands Screening and Awareness
Driven by this philosophy, Dr Jagannath established the India Cancer initiative to help people access reliable cancer-related information and support. In Telangana, his team is taking disease screening services directly to people’s homes. The initiative uses technology to identify individuals who may be at risk of diabetes, hypertension and cancers of the breast, cervix and oral cavity. As part of this approach, Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA workers) use a smartphone application to capture images that can assist in cancer detection. By bringing screening closer to communities, the programme aims to improve access to preventive healthcare and identify potential health risks earlier.
Dr Jagannath Warns Against Unnecessary Health Check-Ups
Alongside his emphasis on early detection, Dr Jagannath cautioned against indiscriminate health check-ups and excessive diagnostic testing. “A battery of investigations is not necessarily the ideal way to stay healthy,” he said. He explained that people experiencing symptoms require appropriate medical evaluation. However, individuals without symptoms should follow evidence-based screening protocols suited to their age and risk factors instead of routinely undergoing extensive panels of tests. Unnecessary investigations can increase healthcare costs and may lead to further testing or interventions that patients do not need. Therefore, preventive healthcare should focus on scientific evidence, individual risk assessment and clinically appropriate screening. “We need to be much more scientific than commercial about preventive healthcare,” he said.
Listening to the Body and Prioritising Prevention
Dr Jagannath also encouraged people to become more aware of their bodies and respond appropriately to changes in their health. He emphasised that preventive healthcare should promote informed decisions and timely medical consultation rather than dependence on commercial health packages alone. “We need to be proactive and aware of our bodies. The body always tells you something. We need to listen to it,” he said. His message highlights the importance of balancing technological progress with clinical judgement, patient education and meaningful doctor-patient communication.
Healthcare Must Remain a Profession, Not Just a Business
Dr Jagannath called for a broader shift in the way society approaches healthcare. While technology and advanced diagnostics play an important role in improving medical outcomes, he believes that compassion, ethics and patient-centred decision-making must remain fundamental to medical practice. “I want to see healthcare move from being treated as a business back to being regarded as a profession — a global profession, and the profession it should be.” As reported by thetimesofindia.indiatimes.com, Dr. Jagannath’s appeal reinforces a central principle of medicine: effective healthcare depends not only on advanced technology and accurate diagnosis, but also on empathy, scientific integrity and a commitment to the people behind every diagnosis.