AI should reach remotest areas of Karnataka: Health minister

Bengaluru: The biggest challenge today is to explore how AI can be used, especially in a big state like Karnataka, to provide services to the remotest areas with no proper access to cutting edge healthcare, cutting edge healtcare, said Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao.  

He said this while delivering the inaugural address at the ninth edition of Cahotech, a healthcare technology conference hosted by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Medical School Foundation in Bengaluru on Saturday. Cahotech is organised by CAHO (Consortium of Accredited Healthcare Organizations).

Dinesh Gundu Rao cited the example of Puneeth Rajkumar Hrudaya Jyothi Scheme as an example of using AI to take solutions to the grassroots.

“In the scheme whenever an ECG scan is done, the reading is done using AI. The process takes six to seven minutes from the reading to diagnosis. We’ve tested around 2.69 lakh people in 72 taluks. As many as 2,363 people were treated. Of which, 849 had to undergo angioplasty and 245 people got the lifesaving tenecteplase injection for free,” he said. 

Dr Uma Nambiar, CEO of Bagchi Parthasarthy Hospital, IISc and part of the core committee of Cahotech said that the list of 107 healthtech startups that participated in Cahotech will be given to the Health and Family Welfare Department in order to implement the technologies in Karnataka.

The conference had health tech startups present their products to a jury consisting of healthcare providers and investor groups. They also showcased the products at the onsite exhibition.