Chennai, April 11, 2026: Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu, former Vice President of India, inaugurated the 10th edition of CAHOCON 2026, India’s premier healthcare quality conference organised by the Consortium of Accredited Healthcare Organizations (CAHO), here today.
Scheduled from April 10 to 12, 2026, the conference features high-impact scientific sessions, panel discussions, innovation showcases, and interactive networking opportunities. The programme also includes poster presentations by researchers and clinicians, highlighting innovative projects and fostering knowledge exchange.
Dr Sangita Reddy, Joint Managing Director of the Apollo Hospitals Group, delivered the Keynote Address, while Dr Ezequiel Garcia Elorrio, President and Board Member of the International Society for Quality in Health Care (ISQua), presented the Special Address.
Dr Vijay Agarwal, President, and Dr Lallu Joseph, Secretary General, CAHO were among the dignitaries who delivered special addresses. Dr Nalla G Palaniswami, Organising Chairperson, CAHOCON 2026, welcomed the gathering, while Dr S Manivannan, Co-Organising Chairperson, presented the theme address. Dr Sathish Devadoss, Organising Secretary, proposed the vote of thanks.
CAHOCON 2026 brought together around 2,500 healthcare leaders, clinicians, administrators, and policymakers, including over 200 international delegates, to deliberate on advancements in patient safety, healthcare quality, accreditation, and digital transformation. Alongside the conference, the event hosts a comprehensive healthcare exhibition with over 200 stalls, showcasing cutting-edge products and services from leading medical equipment manufacturers, digital health companies, pharmaceutical firms, and service providers.
In his Chief Guest address, Shri Venkaiah Naidu said, “The governments must prioritise the creation of robust healthcare infrastructure, particularly in rural areas, to ensure that quality care is accessible to all, ideally at no cost. While insurance penetration has improved over the years, a significant proportion of patients still rely on out-of-pocket expenditure, which remains a major concern. There is immense potential for Public-Private Partnerships to bridge gaps in access and affordability, enabling more efficient and widespread delivery of healthcare services. At the same time, healthcare practitioners must embrace artificial intelligence to expand reach, improve diagnostics, and enhance patient outcomes. Equally important is strengthening awareness at the community level, with a strong focus on preventive care, this will play a crucial role in reducing the growing burden of lifestyle diseases in the long term.”
The conference will also feature multiple breakout houses, designed to facilitate smaller group discussions, interactive workshops, and focused learning sessions. Over 40 pre-event workshops were organised engaging 32 leading hospitals from Chennai, providing hands-on training and practical insights into quality improvement and patient safety for the participants.
The inaugural function featured the release of the Conference Souvenir and academic publications and journals, along with the launch of new programmes, including maturity and excellence standards in healthcare risk, laparoscopic governance, pharmacy governance, rehabilitation, and patient-friendly hospital administration.
Announcements were also made on the launch of Centres for Quality Promotion and new CAHO forums in areas such as human resources, infection prevention control, and occupational health. The event also witnessed the signing of an MoU between CAHO and Indian Institute of Management Jammu to promote management practices in the healthcare sector.
Recognised by ISQua as the first ISQua Regional Conference for South Asia, CAHOCON 2026 will witness addresses by 20 ISQua experts. The conference will honour excellence in healthcare quality and patient safety through the prestigious CAHO Awards, celebrating institutions and professionals who have made outstanding contributions to advancing healthcare standards.
About the Author
