How India is bringing in AI to transform healthcare

India is on a mission to bring about a paradigm shift in the country's healthcare system and is working on merging tech and medicine to make the nation's healthcare robust and 'aatmanirbhar'

In a first-of-its-kind collaboration, Apollo Hospitals and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur, signed an MoU for research collaboration in medical technology. With this tie-up, the country's premier institute and Asia's largest integrated healthcare provider will cater to Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other tech innovations so that India becomes self-reliant in the healthcare sector.

Last week Bharti Airtel and Apollo Hospitals carried out India's first 5G-driven, AI-guided colonoscopy trial. An otherwise painful, time-taking manual process widely used to detect colon cancer was conducted in much less time, with more accuracy and with way less hassle.

Tata Medical Centre and Indian Institute of Technology have recently launched India's first de-identified cancer image bank, which AI-based tools can use to detect biomarkers and help in bettering the results of cancer research.

Public policy think-tank Niti Ayog is working on AI intervention for early detection of diabetes. The think-tank is also exploring the use of AI in eye screenings and looking at its effectiveness vis-à-vis retina specialists.

Apollo hospitals in collaboration with Microsoft's AI network is developing a machine-learning model to better predict heart attack risks. If successful, it can prove to be a huge boom for the country which has been recording way too many unsuspecting cardiac cases in the recent past.

These are just a few instances but are clear enough to let the world know how India is almost on a mission to merge healthcare with technology and bring the paradigm shift the country desperately needs. In a country that struggles with only about 64 doctors per 1,00,000 people while the global average stands at approximately 150 per 1,00,000 patients, AI could be the answer to the nation's healthcare woes.

How can AI be the game-changer?

From detecting tuberculosis to alarming people about cancer risks, from simple yet powerful devices like smart trackers to robotic surgeries, AI has made its foray in almost all facets of healthcare already. While the expanse of the use is still limited, the scope is not. Even in a country like the US which is known for its development and technologies, medical error is known to be the third highest reason for medical deaths.

Here are a few areas Artificial Intelligence can make a difference and soon become the game changer for the health sector.

• Artificial Intelligence can come in as immensely useful in analyzing symptoms in patients and assisting healthcare professionals in their medical intervention, provide personalized treatments and predict risks. AI can also be useful in detecting abnormal results with precision and accuracy too.
• AI-driven imaging tools are known to provide better results than clinicians too. According to a 2017 study published in JAMA, of the 32 deep learning algorithms, 7 were able to diagnose lymph node metastases in women with breast cancer more accurately than a panel of 11 pathologists.
• In patients with mobility and speech issues due to ALS, strokes or brain injuries, AI is proving to be a useful tool in improving the lifestyle of such patients.
• Artificial Intelligence can speed up the drug development process without compromising on quality and accuracy.
• According to studies, about one in five new prescriptions are never filed and approximately only half of those filled are taken correctly. AI can help patients adhere to their treatment plans with wearable and personalized medical devices, such as smart watches or medicine/activity trackers.

• Recording notes and reviewing medical data take up 34 to 55 per cent of a physician's time. Imagine AI coming to the rescue of the physicians in this aspect and freeing their time for the other important services!

India's way forward

According to a report published in Economic Times, a study by Markets and Research has revealed that the digital healthcare market in India was valued at Rs. 252.92 billion in FY 2021 and is expected to reach Rs. 882.79 billion by FY 2027, expanding at a CAGR of 21.36 per cent during the 2022-2027 period.

Experts in the country's healthcare sector have almost unanimously echoed how AI will revolutionise the country's segment and the way the Indian government has propelled this growth, it seems the nation can finally breathe easy and healthily in the coming years.