SIMATS’ national conclave on critical role of communication in modern healthcare concludes

The National Conclave on Communication in Healthcare, organized by Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences (SIMATS) in collaboration with the National Board of Examinations for Medical Sciences (NBEMS), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, was successfully held at Saveetha Dental College MM Convention Center on Monday.

The conclave has emerged as a landmark academic event that brings together leading experts, policymakers, educators, and healthcare professionals from across the country to discuss the critical role of communication in modern healthcare.

The event witnessed a strong turnout with over 15 leading institutions and over 1,500 delegates attending; this reflected communication being increasingly recognized as a core competency in clinical practice. The conclave served as a vibrant platform for knowledge exchange, interdisciplinary dialogue and capacity building, and reinforced the importance of effective communication in ensuring patient safety, trust and quality healthcare delivery.

The inaugural session began with the Presidential Address by NM Veeraiyan, Chancellor of Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences (SIMATS), setting a visionary and inspirational tone for the conclave. In his speech, he underlined that although communication is often perceived as a social skill, it is actually a powerful clinical tool that directly affects patient outcomes.

He emphasized that words can heal and underlined the profound impact of compassionate and empathetic communication in enhancing the healing process. He also emphasized the need to integrate structured communication training at all levels of medical education in line with competency-based curricula.

This was followed by a speech by Abhijat C. Sheth, Chairman, National Medical Commission (NMC), Government of India, who emphasized the integration of communication skills into competency-based medical education and its direct impact on patient outcomes. The presence of NBEMS’ distinguished leadership further elevated the academic stature of the conclave; these include NBEMS Executive Director Minu Bajpai; Shishta Nadda Basu, Member, Board of Directors, NBEMS; and NBEMS Vice President Shivakant Misra.

The scientific sessions featured an outstanding panel of experts including Sitangshu Basu, Rajesh Upadhyay, Veena Upadhyay and Ajay Kumar. The sessions were extremely engaging and application-oriented; It focused on empathy in patient care, breaking bad news, nonverbal communication, and managing difficult conversations. Particular emphasis was placed on addressing violence against healthcare workers and the importance of structured communication in preventing conflicts and improving workplace safety.