Mangaluru: Minister of medical education Dr Sharan Prakash Rudrappa Patil called upon physiotherapy students and practitioners to be compassionate while adopting to newer technologies. He was addressing at the Mangalore Physiocon 2026, an international physiotherapy conference, organised by the South Canara Physiotherapy Teachers Association at the TMA Pai International Convention Centre here on Friday.“Today, we are living in an era where technology, especially artificial intelligence, data analytics and precision medicine, is redefining the boundaries of medical science. However, while embracing this advancement, we also ensure that compassion, ethics and patient-centric care remain at the core of the practice. Science without humanity loses its purpose and healthcare without empathy loses its soul,” the minister said. The govt remains committed to strengthening healthcare infrastructure, promoting research and supporting academic excellence. Conferences like this align perfectly with our vision of building a robust, knowledge-driven healthcare ecosystem, the minister said. “In a rapidly evolving world where science and healthcare are undergoing transformative changes, physiotherapy reflects the deep interconnection between observation, science and human understanding. Whether viewed through traditional perspectives of modern scientific frameworks, it reminds us that every human being is unique and understanding that uniqueness is a key to effective healthcare and social well-being,” he added.Health and Family Welfare minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said that physiotherapy is a profession which has got a great promise, and people can develop expertise in this.The minister expressed happiness over more girls opting physiotherapy. “I see more women than men in this profession. There is opportunity for them and it can be done in the homes, in hospitals, not necessarily in a particular nursing home or a clinic. The world also is ageing more rapidly than India and the need for physiotherapists is going to increase. The future for this profession is going to be very bright,” the minister said. He also spoke about the significance of physiotherapy in corporate sectors, where employees face several physiological impacts of working continuously sitting in offices. Dr Ali Irani, former physiotherapist of the Indian cricket team, Dr Bhagavan BC, vice-chancellor of Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, and others were present.
