Vaibhav Tewari, a key player in Portea, India’s largest outside-the-hospital healthcare services company, took the stage at Cypher 2023 to discuss the transformative role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in healthcare. Tewari’s talk was a comprehensive overview of the challenges, opportunities, and future prospects of AI in healthcare, particularly in the Indian context.
The Indian Healthcare Landscape
Tewari began by outlining the state of healthcare in India, emphasizing the lack of qualified clinicians and the accessibility issues that plague the system. He pointed out that India has only 64 doctors for every 100,000 citizens, compared to a global average of 150. This gap, he argued, could be bridged through the use of technology, particularly AI.
Personalized Healthcare
One of the key themes of Tewari’s talk was the shift towards personalized healthcare. He argued that healthcare has traditionally been generic, but with the advent of AI and data analytics, it can become highly personalized. This personalization, he said, is the “Holy Grail” of AI in healthcare.
Key Use Cases
Tewari discussed several key use cases for AI in healthcare, including medical simulation, drug discovery, medical chatbots, medical imaging, and medical research. He highlighted the role of AI in diagnostics and personalized treatment plans, stating that these are areas where AI can make a significant impact.
Bridging the Gap
Tewari emphasized that one of the biggest challenges in Indian healthcare is the inequality in access to medical services. He suggested that technology, and AI in particular, could play a crucial role in bridging this gap. For example, AI could help clinicians treat many more patients than they currently do, thereby increasing efficiency and accessibility.
The Future of AI in Healthcare
Tewari concluded by discussing the future prospects of AI in healthcare, stating that the market is set to grow significantly. He mentioned that AI could add up to a trillion dollars to the Indian economy by 2035 and that it is already being integrated into various aspects of healthcare, from diagnostics to treatment plans.
Conclusion
Vaibhav Tewari’s session at Cypher 2023 was a deep dive into the potential of AI to revolutionize healthcare, especially in a country like India where the system faces numerous challenges. His insights serve as a roadmap for healthcare providers, policymakers, and AI practitioners looking to make a meaningful impact in this critical sector.
