Mumbai: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay, on April 17, 2023, inaugurated the Koita Centre for Digital Health (KCDH). Announced in June 2021, the centre is focused on driving academic programs, research, and industry collaborations in this space.
The first-of-its-kind in India, KCDH has been funded by the Koita Foundation, formed by IIT Bombay’s Distinguished Alumnus and Co-founder of CitiusTech, Mr. Rizwan Koita (B.Tech., Electrical Engineering, 1992) and Distinguished Service Awardee Ms. Rekha Koita (B.Tech., Metallurgical Engineering & Material Science, 1992).
The inaugural event also witnessed a symposium that brought together thought leaders and researchers in technology and healthcare from the hospitals, government, academia, and industry.
The panelists presented their views on how digital solutions can transform healthcare in India, with some of the dominant themes being: managing large healthcare data sets, use of advance technologies like AI/ML in personalized medicine, disease modeling for public health, the importance of local innovation in digital health, and the need for nation-wide capacity building in digital health.
Speaking about her vision for the Centre, Ms. Rekha Koita said, “Our vision is for KCDH to become a globally-renowned Centre in Digital Health informatics. It will drive research and entrepreneurship and hone some of the best minds, creating a cadre of professionals who can truly create an impact in terms of improving healthcare quality, accessibility and affordability”.
