New Delhi: The next phase of growth in the healthcare sector will be driven by artificial intelligence and its use across multiple touchpoints of care to empower consumers and improve healthcare accessibility till the last mile, National Health Authority (NHA) CEO Dr Sunil Kumar Barnwal said on Sunday.
Speaking at a session organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Barnwal said AI had played a critical role in developing the initial blueprints for the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM).
"The next phase of growth in healthcare will be driven by AI and its use across multiple touchpoints of care to empower the consumer and make health accessible to the last mile," he said.
Barnwal encouraged healthcare organisations to register under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) and adopt the National Health Claims Exchange (NHCX) platform to streamline the claims settlement process.
He also lauded CII's efforts in engaging with healthcare organisations and payors across the country to enhance awareness about NHCX and support the scaling up of the digital claims settlement solution.
Addressing the gathering, CII Healthcare Council Chairman Dr Naresh Trehan said the 'Viksit Bharat' vision offered India an opportunity to shape its healthcare system over the next 20-25 years.
"No country in the world has been able to build a perfect healthcare system," Trehan said, adding that India possesses some of the finest medical talent globally.
He noted that about 22 per cent of heads of departments in prominent hospitals in the United States are of Indian origin.
Former NITI Aayog member (Health) Dr VK Paul stressed the need for robust policies governing the use of artificial intelligence in healthcare and highlighted the importance of data in policymaking.
Archana Vyas, India Country Director for the Gates Foundation, underscored the need to prevent avoidable maternal and child deaths and said the organisation's programmes were focused on reaching the most marginalised populations.
This report was published from a syndicated wire feed. Apart from the headline, the EdexLive Desk has not edited the copy.
