Telangana to use Microsoft analytics for health screening of 6 mn kids

State will also use tech giant's eye-care solution and AI platform for reducing avoidable blindness

Telangana government announced on Thursday that it has entered into an agreement with Microsoft India to adopt cloud-based analytics for Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram, its healthcare screening progamme for children.

The state would also adopt Microsoft Intelligent Network for Eyecare (MINE) and an artificial intelligence (AI) platform created to reduce avoidable blindness.

In November 2016, the government had signed an MoU to use Microsoft's cloud technology to drive citizen services and digital inclusion. Under this MoU, Microsoft India had conducted a cloud-based, advanced analytics pilot project to understand the health screening programme among children from birth to 18 years in 10 districts.

The pilot is now scaling to a full-fledged solution which will enable the Telangana health officials to gain valuable insights to tackle health conditions covered under the RBSK programme in children across the state, according to the government.

"We are very pleased to announce that Telangana will be the first state in India to bring AI in public health screening and we are excited about how technology has the potential to make great social impact. I am extremely happy with the collaboration between our health and IT departments and Microsoft, which has resulted in a solution that is going to make a huge difference to the lives of the people in our country, starting with our state," Telangana IT minister K T Rama Rao said.

According to Jayesh Ranjan, principal secretary of state IT department, this initiative can potentially touch up to six million children who will be screened for health conditions under the RBSK programme.