Centre Highlights AI-Based Solutions Revolutionizing India's Public Health System
New Delhi: The Union Health Ministry announced on Friday its ongoing efforts to harness artificial intelligence (AI) to revolutionize public healthcare delivery across India. In a significant step, the ministry has designated AIIMS Delhi, PGIMER Chandigarh, and AIIMS Rishikesh as ‘Centres of Excellence for Artificial Intelligence’ to encourage the development and integration of AI-based healthcare solutions.
According to Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Prataprao Jadhav, several AI-driven tools have already been developed and implemented. These include the Clinical Decision Support System (CDSS) integrated with the national telemedicine service e-Sanjeevani, the Media Disease Surveillance (MDS) solution under the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), Diabetic Retinopathy Identification solutions, and an Abnormal Chest X-ray Classifier Model. Other AI projects are currently in the early stages of development.
The Media Disease Surveillance tool, operational since April 2022, utilizes AI to monitor digital news sources across the country for reports on infectious diseases. Relevant information is shared with district health authorities, allowing for early action. To date, the tool has issued over 4,500 event alerts, aiding in the timely containment of potential outbreaks and contributing to reduced mortality and morbidity rates.
The CDSS has been integrated with the e-Sanjeevani platform to streamline patient data entry and provide AI-generated differential diagnoses. This system has significantly enhanced the quality of consultations by ensuring standardized data collection across health and wellness centres. Since its implementation, over 196 million consultations have benefited from standardized records, and approximately 12 million consultations have been supported by AI-generated diagnosis recommendations, assisting doctors in making informed clinical decisions.
In addition, under the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme, the ministry has deployed the ‘Cough Against TB’ AI solution to screen for pulmonary tuberculosis in community settings. The solution has resulted in an additional 12-16% yield in TB case detection compared to traditional screening methods.
Furthermore, the AI-powered ‘Prediction of Adverse TB Outcomes’ tool identifies patients at risk of adverse treatment outcomes at the onset of therapy. The ministry reports a 27% reduction in adverse TB outcomes following the deployment of this solution, highlighting AI's potential to improve patient care and disease management nationwide.
Nidhi Srivastava is a dietician. She holds a post-graduate degree in Nutrition and Dietetics from MRIIRS. With a profound passion for utilizing nutrition and lifestyle modifications to manage diseases, she is dedicated to advancing the field through rigorous research and fact-checking. Her expertise lies in evidence-based practice, ensuring the highest standards of dietary health and wellness.