Global healthcare stakeholders convened in Hyderabad today as IHD 2026 opened with patient safety framed as a leadership and governance mandate.
Speakers highlighted India’s ability to deliver care at scale while strengthening accountability, positioning the country as a reference point for global safety models.
Dr. Sangita Reddy, Joint Managing Director, Apollo Hospitals Group, recalled the founding purpose of IHD as a platform built for sharing learning that should not remain confined to individual systems. “So much innovation is happening within our hospitals, within our systems. We are learning every day. But why is this knowledge staying within our own ecosystem? Why are we not sharing it more openly?” she said, adding that the intent has always been to “take what we have learned and make it useful for others.” Reflecting the expanding global relevance of the platform, she noted that IHD 2026 received over 5,000 registrations, 300+ paper submissions, and 120+ award entries from 75+ institutions worldwide.
Sessions featured calls for equity-driven design, prevention-focused care, organisational accountability, disciplined digital adoption, and measurable outcomes, alongside the signing of an AI-focused MoU between Apollo Hospitals and Roche Diagnostics India.
Setting the tone for outcomes that work in real life, Dr Jayesh Ranjan, Special Chief Secretary for the Industries & Commerce (I&C) and Information Technology (IT) Departments, Government of Telangana, highlighted why equity must sit at the centre of patient safety design. “When we talk about sharing learning and improving systems, we have to start with the truth that patients are not homogeneous. Different patients live in different worlds, and safety means different things in each,” he said. “An equity lens forces a design lens. If we want patient safety to hold up in the real world, we must design for those who are most vulnerable, and we must plan for continuity, access, and how people actually behave,” he added. On digital inclusion, he observed, “The digital divide is not only infrastructure. Often, the mindset divide is bigger.”
The day also showcased startup-led innovation addressing real-world safety challenges, underlining IHD’s implementation-first approach.
