Artificial Intelligence is advancing healthcare - Dr Loukas
Medicine is changing faster than ever before. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is already helping clinicians analyse medical images, identify diseases earlier, support diagnosis and improve administrative efficiency.
Yet, despite rapid technological advances, one message resonated throughout St. George's University's (SGU) special Commencement Ceremony in Gaborone: the future of healthcare will continue to depend on doctors, and not vice versa.
Addressing graduates, healthcare leaders and government representatives gathered to celebrate SGU's 50th anniversary, the University's President and Dean of the School of Medicine, Dr Marios Loukas, reflected on the
growing role of AI in healthcare while reminding graduates that technology will never replace the human qualities that define good medicine.
AI may become an increasingly valuable tool, he noted, but it cannot replace empathy, compassion, ethical judgement or the trust that exists between a doctor and a patient.
“AI can read a chest X-ray in 1.3 seconds. It can flag a sepsis risk before a nurse has even finished chatting. It can analyse a dermatology image with accuracy. This is not science fiction,” he said.
However, AI cannot hold a patient's hand.
“It cannot look at a terrified mother and say I am here with you. It cannot sit with grief, and it cannot translate fear into trust,” he said, noting that this is where the 26 Medical graduates come in.
“You are irreplaceable,” he explained.
Those qualities were echoed throughout a ceremony that celebrated not only academic achievement, but the responsibility that comes with joining one of the world's most demanding professions.
Hosted in Gaborone as part of SGU's global 50th anniversary celebrations, the commencement recognised graduates from Botswana and across Africa while celebrating a relationship between the University and Botswana that spans more than three decades.
Since the first Botswana students enrolled in 1993, 135 Botswana physicians have graduated from SGU, including Stephen Modise, the Minister of Health, with 66 students currently pursuing their medical education at the University.
At the Gaborone commencement ceremony, 26 graduates were given a rare chance to share the special moment of graduating in the presence of their loved ones, something that they might have missed with the usual ceremony held in New York, which they have already experienced.
Speaking in an interview, he explained that over the past three decades, Botswana has been a great partner both as a country and government because of the number of students that they have received. He also said they held the commencement ceremony in Botswana out of respect for the country, and the solid partnership the two parties have enjoyed over the years.
“So, out of respect, and great trust that we have in that partnership, we came to Botswana specifically to award those students the degree here, and to have their families come to the graduation and celebrate together with us,” he explained.
To a great extent, he says that there is a significant cost associated with them coming to the graduation ceremony in New York.
Adding on, Dr Gaurov Dayal, Chief Executive Officer of Medforth Global Healthcare Education, explained that with medicine being a long road, such graduation ceremonies give families a chance to participate and cheer their graduates physically rather than watching the proceedings online.
It's a big recognition, says Dr Loukas.
He also explains that one part is that they have completed medical doctrine, and then the second part is to go into practise.
“So that recognition, and also recognition of Botswana as a country, because having that long-lasting relationship of 33 years is not a negligible part,” he notes.
Over and above that, during their time in Botswana, they also got to reconnect with some of their prominent graduates who are doing great things in the country and impacting the health care system locally.
Some of them, they last saw them fifteen or so years ago, and now they are grown, and they have families, and definitely there were tears as they reconnected.
“We spent a lot of time together at the beginning of their career. It's always the most difficult part, right? And then when you go to the second, third year, things are easier. So, there's a lot of kisses, a lot of hugs,” says Dr Loukas.
A similar ceremony was held almost ten years ago.
In 1993, the University admitted the first student from Botswana, and today they have welcomed close to 200 students. Loukas recognises that Botswana is a very important partner. Through the partnership, he says that they get to address physician shortages.
“Botswana is doing very well when it comes to the healthcare system. We see the progress. And I think we have played a pivotal role in shaping the healthcare system here,” he explains.
“We have 135 graduates already and another 66 to come out. So, it's very important for us. Both from our mission and for our education,” he adds.
Detailing the relationship between the two partners, he explains that they have a great relationship as the students are sponsored by government. In the near future, he said that they were looking into collaborating in areas such as research.
“We have a very big public health department. And we are a WHO collaborative centre for occupational health and environmental health. So, we have a lot of areas that we can collaborate on for several issues that Africa has,” he explains.
This, he says, is very similar to what the Caribbean has, and that through the WHO and public health, they have a lot of technical expertise that they can collaborate and work together to address issues such as non-communicable diseases and malaria, to mention a few.
“I think Botswana's trajectory post-independence has been fairly spectacular as well,” he shares.
According to Dr Dayal, one thing that they have observed about Botswana is that it is growing in wealth as well. One potential opportunity they see is Botswana being a destination centre for education, and medical education in particular.
“One of the conversations we are having is how do we have some of our curriculum delivered locally but not just for local students in Botswana, but also from neighbouring countries which don't have as much infrastructure and as many resources as Botswana does.
Botswana will be helping other African nations in their journey to get more qualified positions. As a university, we are very interesting to create an educational hub in partnership with local institutions,” Dr Dayal explains.
In August, Dr Loukas noted that they are expecting a good number of students to graduate with them. He also says that they are excited to have contributed to training high-quality medical doctors who return and work in Botswana.
Some of those who have graduated from the University include Dr Victor, who is doing remarkable work in HIV prevention. An important fact is that the majority of them, when they complete their studies, are awarded a Master of Public Health.
“So that quadruples or multiplies the impact in the health care so much more than just seeing patients. Because you form policies, you understand what the global impact of the country is, how you can change certain things, prevention, surveillance of cancers and so on,” explains Loukas.
Officiating at the event, the Minister of Health, Dr Stephen Modise shared that over the past 50 years, St. George’s University has grown into a truly global institution, with more than 33,000 graduates in medicine, veterinary medicine, public health, and other disciplines.
Today, SGU alumni serve communities in more than 50 countries, advancing patient care, research, education, business, and public service.
An alumnus of the institution, he shared that he was happy that Botswana is proud to be part of that global community.
“Many have returned home and gone on to serve our country in hospitals, clinics, healthcare institutions, education, leadership, and public service.
Some of them are here with us this evening as proud SGU alumni, and as living examples of the longstanding relationship between St. George’s University and Botswana,” he said.
He also said that across the health system and the broader society, Botswana graduates trained internationally continue to bring valuable expertise, professionalism, and a strong commitment to service.
“Their impact can be seen in hospitals, clinics, educational institutions, and leadership roles throughout the country,” he explained.