Radiology, cardiology have deep interdependence: Doctor

Mysuru: Emphasising the growing importance of radiology in modern healthcare, Dr B Dinesha, director of Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research, said radiology and cardiology today have become "almost like first-degree relatives" because of their deep interdependence in diagnosis and treatment.He was speaking after inaugurating Dr Gyan P Lal CME 2026, organised by the Indian Radiological and Imaging Association at Jayadeva's Mysuru unit on Saturday.Dr Dinesha said every final-year postgraduate student in cardiology should be confident enough to independently perform a primary angioplasty. He noted that radiology is now closely linked with almost every branch of medicine and has become indispensable in patient care.Referring to technological advancements, he said medicine has entered the era of artificial intelligence and advanced imaging technologies. However, he stressed that the true value of AI lies only when it becomes accessible to the poorest sections of society. He expressed concern that advanced radiology facilities continue to remain concentrated in urban centres because of financial constraints, leaving rural and peripheral regions underserved.Tracing the evolution of radiology, Dr Dinesha recalled how the field progressed from conventional X-rays to MRI, CT scans, PET scans and AI-assisted imaging systems. "Today, even reputed international medical journals do not accept many research papers without proper imaging support. That itself reflects the importance of radiology," he observed. He said radiologists are no longer merely image interpreters, but key contributors to accurate diagnosis, disease localisation and treatment support. He predicted that interventional radiology and minimally invasive image-guided therapies could soon emerge as a separate major branch of medicine.He said India currently has only around 20,000 registered radiologists, which is inadequate for a population exceeding 1.5 billion. Sharing details about the institution, Dr Dinesh said the institute presently has eight radiologists and is equipped with advanced MRI, CT and ultrasound facilities. The institute handles nearly 2,000 patients daily, performs around 30 open-heart surgeries and over 200 catheter-based procedures every day. "From individual patient care to national healthcare systems, radiologists play an indispensable role," he added. On the occasion, senior radiologist Dr Kumaraswamy was felicitated.