The Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS), in collaboration with the Dr. Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences (RPC) at AIIMS and the eHealth AI Unit of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, launched India’s first AI-driven community screening programme for Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) on December 16, 2025, in New Delhi.
The initiative aims to strengthen early detection of diabetic eye disease and contribute to a real-time national health intelligence framework by using MadhuNetrAI, a web-based artificial intelligence platform developed by RPC. The system supports automated screening, grading and triaging of retinal images captured with handheld fundus cameras and produces data on disease prevalence and geographic spread to aid evidence-based planning and policy.
Under the pilot phase, AFMS will roll out the screening programme across seven locations — Pune, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Dharamshala, Gaya, Jorhat and Kochi — covering metropolitan, rural, hilly, coastal and remote regions. Health personnel from each site will receive intensive training at RPC, after which large-scale community screening will begin.
Individuals identified with diabetic retinopathy through the programme will be referred for appropriate diabetes management, while those with vision-threatening DR will be referred to vitreo-retina specialists at designated district hospitals. District health administrations are tasked with coordinating referral mechanisms and integrating DR care into existing non-communicable disease programmes to maintain continuity of care.
A compendium detailing the methodology and operational guidelines for the programme was released at the launch, which is designed as a scalable and replicable model to integrate AI-enabled tools into public health systems through the joint efforts of AFMS, AIIMS and the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.
