KUHS Research Day: focus on geriatric care, indigenous medical devices, says ICMR official

Geriatric care is healthcare focused on the needs of older people. It addresses age-related illnesses, several conditions occurring together, mental health concerns, dementia, and other challenges linked to ageing. It matters because India’s elderly population is growing rapidly, increasing demand for coordinated and effective care.

KUHS has established a centre for geriatric care and is making research part of its response. Research can identify which interventions work best for older patients. It can also guide prevention, diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, and support for families and caregivers.

The need is urgent. India had 149 million elderly people in 2022, and more than 32% lived with multiple chronic conditions. KUHS’s work can produce evidence-based solutions for this population. Greater collaboration with the ICMR could help turn research findings into practical improvements in geriatric healthcare.

India’s elderly population was 149 million in 2022. It is projected to rise to 347 million by 2050. This sharp increase means health systems must prepare for a much larger need for long-term, coordinated, and age-sensitive care.

Among older people in 2022, more than 32% lived with multiple chronic conditions. That represents more than 32% of the 149-million elderly population. The article also reports that 29% exhibited high levels of depressive symptoms, while an estimated 8.8 million elderly people were living with dementia.

These figures show that ageing is not only a population issue. It is also a complex healthcare challenge involving physical illness, mental health, and cognitive decline. Dr. Sanghamitra Pati said sustained research is needed to develop evidence-based interventions and strengthen geriatric care.

KUHS is the Kerala University of Health Sciences. It hosted its second annual Research Day and is building a research culture among students from their undergraduate years. The ICMR is the Indian Council of Medical Research, whose Additional Director General, Dr. Sanghamitra Pati, delivered the memorial oration.

The highlighted collaboration would connect KUHS’s university research and student programmes with the ICMR’s national medical research role. Dr. Pati stressed stronger cooperation between the two institutions to advance healthcare research. She also called for research into age-related health conditions and zoonotic diseases.

The event showed several practical links. KUHS honoured 428 undergraduate students and felicitated Ph.D. scholars. Dr. Pati praised Indian research during COVID-19 and urged work that creates social change. Both institutions also discussed possibilities for collaboration and advancing healthcare research.

When older people have several chronic illnesses at once, their healthcare becomes harder to organise. Symptoms may overlap, one illness can affect another, and treatment for one condition may need to fit around treatment for others. Daily care can also require attention to mobility, mood, memory, and independence.

For example, a patient could need care for more than one long-term condition while also experiencing depressive symptoms or dementia. The key mechanism is interaction: diseases, medicines, and care needs can influence one another. This makes single-disease approaches less suitable for many older patients.

Evidence-based healthcare helps clinicians choose interventions supported by research rather than relying only on assumptions or isolated experience. Dr. Sanghamitra Pati called for such interventions because more than 32% of elderly Indians lived with multiple chronic conditions. Sustained geriatric research can support safer, more coordinated care.

Research can improve healthcare when it moves from findings to practical action. Publications share knowledge, but applied research can change how illnesses are prevented, diagnosed, treated, or managed. It can also help health systems respond to growing needs, including the needs of older people.

The COVID-19 pandemic provided an example of Indian medical researchers making advances under pressure. Dr. Pati used that progress to encourage young researchers to pursue socially useful work. A student project might test an intervention, study a health problem, or develop a prototype that addresses a real clinical need.

KUHS is encouraging this direction through undergraduate research awards and its wider research culture. The university plans to provide ₹10,000 each to 1,000 students annually. Young researchers could therefore contribute to better geriatric care, address zoonotic diseases, or develop medical devices that reduce dependence on imports.

India is encouraging indigenous medical-device research because it depends on imported medical equipment. Developing devices within the country could reduce that reliance and give healthcare institutions more locally developed options. It also places medical innovation closer to the needs identified by Indian researchers and clinicians.

The proposed mechanism is prototype development. Young researchers would identify a healthcare problem, design an innovative device, and develop an early working model for further testing. This turns research from an academic exercise into a possible product or tool that can support healthcare delivery.

At Research Day, KUHS Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. Mohanan Kunnummal called for nurturing researchers who can develop such prototypes. The goal stated in the article is to reduce India’s dependence on imported equipment. Collaboration between KUHS and the ICMR could help connect student research, medical expertise, and broader healthcare priorities.

Age-related illnesses are health conditions associated with ageing or especially important in later life. Dementia is a condition involving progressive problems with memory and other thinking abilities. Zoonotic diseases are infections that can pass between animals and people. These are distinct research areas, but each can create demanding healthcare needs.

An older person may need continuing care for chronic illness while also experiencing cognitive decline or depressive symptoms. Dementia can affect communication and daily decision-making care more involved. Zoonotic diseases add another research concern because they involve links between human health and animals. Effective responses require accurate evidence, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.

The article reports 8.8 million elderly people living with dementia and calls for more research into age-related conditions and zoonotic diseases. As India’s elderly population grows toward 347 million by 2050, KUHS and the ICMR will need research that supports coordinated, evidence-based healthcare.