AI integration can relieve healthcare pressures in India

AI can significantly ease the burden on healthcare systems, according to Parminder Bhatia, the Chief AI Officer at GE Healthcare. He emphasizes the importance of integrating AI into the daily work of healthcare professionals, especially in regions with limited resources, like rural India. Bhatia points out that AI technology can improve diagnostics and personalize patient care. It can also shorten the time needed for scans and reduce the administrative workload on doctors. This allows clinicians to focus more on their patients. He highlights a strategy called "opportunistic screening," where AI analyzes full-body scans to identify additional health issues. This could help patients avoid multiple healthcare visits and ease pressure on the system. Bhatia stresses that as healthcare data continues to grow, AI will play a key role in managing and interpreting this information. The efficiency of medical devices is also improving thanks to AI. For example, GE Healthcare's AI-powered MRI machines can cut scan times by half, which increases capacity and access to care. Additionally, Bhatia mentions that generative AI can help analyze a patient’s long-term health data, guiding clinicians in their medical decisions. He acknowledges the need for ethical practices in using healthcare data, including consent and privacy measures. With projected spending on AI in healthcare expected to reach $49 billion by 2027, cloud technology will be crucial for wider adoption. In India, GE Healthcare has made significant investments, totaling $4 billion, and plans to invest an additional $1 billion in the next five years. The company is also collaborating with the All India Institute of Medical Sciences to create an AI Health Innovations Hub, focusing on innovative medical solutions and patient tracking.