Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Anupriya Patel, today underscored the transformative role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in public health while addressing the session titled “Innovation to Impact: AI as a Public Health Game-Changer” at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 held at Bharat Mandapam.
Delivering the keynote address, Patel said that “AI for India, as envisioned by Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is not merely Artificial Intelligence but All-Inclusive Intelligence.” She emphasized that AI in healthcare must be measured by its ability to address inequities and improve lives across India’s diverse population.
Highlighting the challenges posed by India’s vast geography, rural–urban divide, and dual burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases, she described AI as an indispensable enabler in the country’s journey towards becoming a Viksit Bharat by 2047.
Patel noted that AI has been integrated across the healthcare continuum—from surveillance and prevention to diagnosis and treatment. She cited the Media Disease Surveillance System, an AI-enabled platform that monitors disease trends in 13 languages and generates real-time alerts, significantly strengthening outbreak preparedness.
Under the One Health Mission, she said the Indian Council of Medical Research has introduced AI-based genomic surveillance tools capable of predicting potential zoonotic outbreaks even before animal-to-human transmission occurs—marking a paradigm shift in preventive public health.
In tuberculosis care, AI-enabled handheld X-ray machines and Computer-Aided Detection tools have brought advanced diagnostics closer to communities, contributing to around 16 per cent additional case detection. AI-driven predictive tools have also helped reduce adverse TB treatment outcomes by 27 per cent, reinforcing India’s TB elimination efforts.
Emphasizing scalability and affordability, Patel highlighted the establishment of three AI Centres of Excellence at AIIMS Delhi, PGIMER Chandigarh, and AIIMS Rishikesh, aimed at integrating world-class AI expertise into public healthcare delivery.
She clarified that AI is designed to augment—not replace—clinicians. “Medicine is not only a science; it is also an art,” she said, stressing that empathy, compassion, and human connection remain irreplaceable in healthcare.
To build future-ready professionals, Patel informed that the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences has launched an online AI training programme to equip doctors with essential digital competencies.
Also addressing the summit, Prof. V. K. Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog, described AI as a strategic opportunity to accelerate universal health coverage. He emphasized the need for ethical safeguards, robust regulatory frameworks, and collaboration between government, academia, and industry to scale indigenous AI solutions.
Roy Jakobs, Chief Executive Officer of Royal Philips, said AI will have its greatest impact in healthcare, provided it is supported by strong data governance, interoperability, and clinical integration. He commended India’s digital health initiatives, including Ayushman Bharat Yojana, for laying the groundwork for interoperable systems and continuity of care at scale.
The session concluded with a collective call to move AI beyond pilot projects towards system-level integration, backed by ethical deployment, interoperable digital infrastructure, and sustained public-private collaboration—positioning AI as an inclusive and patient-centric force for strengthening India’s healthcare system.
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