The Minister of Information Technologies and Communications, Mauricio Lizcano, participated this morning in the VII International Health Systems Congress, which took place at the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana. At this meeting, the importance of Artificial Intelligence and technology in health, known as ‘HealthTech’, was addressed, emphasizing three fundamental pillars: research, development and productivity, and education and democratization of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
“We have allocated $5,000 million to invest in research projects, developing remote hospitals in remote parts of the country, so that they have AI practices with attached systems, which can measure the same as an ICU measures but at a distance. It is something that can help a lot in hospitals like Quibdó and others in the country.“said the ICT Minister, Mauricio Lizcano (@MauricioLizcano).
During the installation of the Congress, Minister Lizcano shared with Luis Martínez, Vice Minister of Social Protection of the Ministry of Health and Social Protection; Father Luis Fernando Múnera, Rector of the Pontifical Javeriana University; Liliana Sánchez, vice-rector for Research; Andrés Rojas, vice chancellor of extension and inter-institutional relations; Libardo Valderrama. vice-rector of the University Environment, and Julia Eslavia, director of the Institute of Public Health, all officials of the Javeriana University.
During his speech, Minister Lizcano highlighted the relevance of AI in the PotencIA Digital strategy, emphasizing its positive impact on the health sector. Currently, SaludTech occupies third place in the country in terms of maturation, after tourism and agriculture.
Numerous benefits of AI in health were highlighted at the Congress, such as the early detection of diseases through medical images, the improvement in the accuracy and speed of diagnoses, and the possibility of bringing advanced medical services to historically underserved areas.
In addition, the importance of 5G networks for the development of health applications based on Artificial Intelligence was discussed, which will allow fast and reliable connectivity for remote diagnoses and treatments, as well as continuous monitoring of patients through portable devices.
Minister Lizcano mentioned that with the implementation of Artificial Intelligence, the need to protect patient data arises. This is achieved through solid cybersecurity systems and clear regulations on the use of AI, to guarantee respect for the rights of Colombian citizens.
“It must be remembered that Artificial Intelligence and technology have not yet managed to identify diversity and gender and, in addition, sometimes problems arise with algorithms. That is why it is essential to handle Artificial Intelligence responsibly and not trust 100%. The Government is interested in working on AI issues and in them, SaludTech is crucial, since with technology many problems can be solved and it can also be a great support for medicine.“, concluded Minister Lizcano
Artificial Intelligence has the potential to revolutionize the health sector in Colombia, and help the country become a Digital Power. The ICT Ministry continues working on the implementation and regulation from a strategy with a code of ethics and responsibility, which helps make this technology vital to changing the lives of Colombians.
