Health ministry proposes to use AI in public health

Health Minister Harsh Vardhan told the Lok Sabha on Friday that his ministry was working towards using Artificial Intelligence in a safe and effective way in public health.

"The potential of AI in public health is being explored in our country. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is working towards using AI in a safe and effective way in public health in India," he said during Question Hour.

Replying to a question by BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi from Odisha, the minister said: "We are using AI in Aayushman Bharat Yogna to reduce fraud and abuse by the empannelled hospitals and to protect beneficiaries' privacy."

Listing the government's initiatives to use AI in public health, he said that the government is working to use the technology in Imaging Biobank for cancer, for which the NITI Aayog with Department of Bio-Technology (DBT) aims to build a database of cancer-related radiology and pathology images of more than 20,000 profiles of cancer patients with focus on major cancers prevalent in India.

Vardhan said 12 that the government has prioritized building AI technology capabilities to address gaps in the country's AI ecosystem and realize its economic impact.

"We are working towards using AI on a big scale for the development of the country to strengthen healthcare and education. I can assure you that we are going one of the important nations in time to come in AI. We will use AI in a big way to solve most of our unresolved issues," he said.

Meanwhile, Congress General Secretary Jyotiraditya Scindia Vardhan for his ministry's efforts towards using Artificial Intelligence (AI) in public healthcare.

"The intersection of public healthcare with Artificial Intelligence can potentially bring in a paradigm shift in our treatment delivery mechanism. I congratulate @drharshvardhan, and welcome this initiative," Scindia tweeted along with a media report.