Inaugural Indian Chest Congress 2026 Begins at IIT Madras Research Park

The inaugural Indian Chest Congress 2026, the annual national conference of the Society for Pulmonology, Interventions, Critical Care and Sleep (SPICE India), began at the IIT Madras Research Park on Saturday.

Held across August 29 and 30 under the theme 'Precision Pulmonology for a Resilient India', the conference was organised in association with Kauvery Hospitals. The event brought together pulmonologists, respiratory physicians, interventional pulmonologists, intensivists, sleep specialists, and researchers to discuss key challenges and advances in respiratory care.

Tamil Nadu Minister for Rural Development and Water Resources N. Anand inaugurated the conference. In his address, he stressed the need for prevention and early detection of respiratory diseases, particularly across rural areas.

Darez Ahamed, Secretary for Health, Medical Education and Family Welfare, highlighted the importance of collaboration between the government and the private sector. He noted that such partnerships are vital to strengthen disease surveillance, early detection, and respiratory care services across medical colleges and district hospitals.

The conference programme covers emerging topics in medical care, including Artificial Intelligence, digital health, precision medicine, advanced bronchoscopy, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), and lung transplantation. In addition to panel discussions, the schedule features hands-on practical workshops focused on specialised respiratory procedures.

Koushik Muthu Raja Mathivanan, Organising Secretary of the Indian Chest Congress 2026 and President of SPICE India, explained that the conference seeks to bridge ongoing advances in respiratory medicine with the needs of patients in India. He highlighted that this approach is particularly critical given the country's continuing healthcare burden related to tuberculosis, air pollution, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).