AI can reduce burden on healthcare workforce: Punya Salila Srivastava

Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava highlighted AI's potential to reduce the healthcare workforce's burden and improve service delivery in remote areas via initiatives like the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission and TB-Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan.

AI's Role in Reducing Healthcare Burden

Punya Salila Srivastava, Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, said that there is a lot of scope by which AI can reduce the burden on the healthcare workforce. Srivastava, while talking to ANI on the sidelines of the AI Impact Summit, said that AI-enabled technology has helped the government take healthcare to the most remote areas of the country. She said, "We have launched the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission and as a part of this, the National Health Authority, the ICMR and the Health Ministry, they are together working so as to one by one use AI solutions. Under the TB-Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan, the AI-enabled X-ray has proved to be a powerful partner in ensuring that we carry out the campaign right up to the remote areas of the country. Today, various state governments describe the kind of solutions that they are using, whether it be to reduce the maternal mortality rate or to improve eye care. There is a lot of scope by which AI can reduce the burden on the healthcare workforce and, secondly, also make our health service delivery more effective. This is what we are working on."

India AI Impact Summit 2026

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to deliver the inaugural address at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 on Thursday February 19, setting the stage for strengthened global collaboration and advancing India's vision for inclusive, trusted, and development-orientated Artificial Intelligence (AI).

The summit, the first global AI event hosted in the Global South, being held from February 16 to 20 at Bharat Mandapam, brings together policymakers, technology leaders, researchers, startups, and investors from around the world to showcase real-world AI applications and foster international partnerships in the rapidly evolving field of AI.

The summit aims to translate AI innovations into actionable development outcomes aligned with India's strategic initiatives, such as the IndiaAI Mission and Digital India. Earlier today, the Prime Minister inaugurated the AI Impact Summit 2026 at Bharat Mandapam in the national capital, underscoring India's commitment to responsible and inclusive Artificial Intelligence. The Summit will witness unprecedented participation, with over 20 Heads of State, 60 Ministers, and 500 global AI leaders. (ANI)

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