Parliament Question: Deployment of Artificial Intelligence in Public Healthcare

GOVERNMENTOFINDIA MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE DEPARTMENTOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE LOK SABHA STARREDQUESTION NO. *186 TO BE ANSWERED ONTHE 31THJULY,2026 DEPLOYMENTOFARTIFICIALINTELLIGENCE IN PUBLIC HEALTHCARE *186 SHRISHASHANKMANI: SHRIARUN GOVIL: Will the MINISTEROFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE be pleased tostate: (a)whether the Government hasformulated a comprehensive roadmapfor deploymentof Artificial Intelligence (AI) in public healthcare institutions to improve disease detection, diagnostics, clinicaldecision support andhealthservice deliveryinthe country; (b) if so, the steps taken by the Government for its implementation, including the Government healthcareinstitutions where such toolsare operationalor underpilot implementation; (c) the measures beingtaken to promote the adoption of AI-enabled healthcare solutions in Government healthfacilities, particularlyinrural andunderserved regionsof the country, Statewise; (d) whether a regulatoryframework hasbeen put inplace toensure ethical,secure and responsible use of AI in healthcare, including the protection of patient data and transparency in AI-based decision-making,if so, the details thereof; and (e)the mannerinwhich AI isexpectedtostrengthen accessibility, affordability andqualityof healthcare services across the country? ANSWER THE MINISTER OFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE (SHRIJAGATPRAKASH NADDA) (a) to(e)AStatementislaidonthe Tableof the House.STATEMENTREFERRED TO IN REPLYTOLOK SABHA STARREDQUESTION NO. 186*FOR31THJULY,2026 (a) to (e) Yes, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has launched the ‘Strategy for AI in Healthcare’ (SAHI) on 17th February 2026 during the India AI impact summit. SAHI is a national guidance framework to enable the safe, ethical, evidence-based, responsible and inclusive adoption of artificial intelligence across India’s healthcare system. SAHI has been developed after extensive consultationwith several majorstakeholders of the healthcare ecosystem. The Ministry of Health has designated All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) Chandigarh and All India Institute of Medical Sciences Delhi (AIIMS) Rishikesh as ‘Centres of Excellence (CoE) for artificial intelligence’. The key objective of AI initiative of ‘centre of excellence’ is to promote development anduse of AI-based solutions inhealth. Several AI solutions have been developed. Some of these include the CIinical Decision Support System (CDSS) on e-Sanjeevani platform to provide symptom based clinical diagnosis and thus to assist doctors in providing faster and more accurate consultations; Media Disease Surveillance under Integrated Disease Surveillance Program (IDSP) to enable early detection and monitoring of disease outbreaks; a Diabetic Retinopathy (DR identification solution) to assist in the timely screening and diagnosis of vision-threatening eye diseases; AI enabled tools for identifying hotspots for TB, Leprosy, Malaria, other vector borne diseases etc. for targeted interventions across the country, including rural & underserved regions; AI-enabled handheld X-rays for TB screening & early diagnosis through community outreach activities; TB Mukt Bharat App, featuring the AI-powered Khushi Chatbot that provides medication reminders, treatment guidance, adherence support, follow-up assistance, and nutritional and psychosocial support for TB patients. These AI solutions are operationalincollaborationwith central andstate healthinstitutions across the country. Together, these solutions address multiple aspects of healthcare including disease detection, diagnostics, clinical decision support and health service delivery. Diabetic Retinopathy identification solution enablesearly disease detection andtreatment, CDSSsupports possible differential diagnosis, and MDS facilitates early outbreak detection and prompt public health action, while a range of solutions for detectionofTBandotherAIhealthapplicationssupport healthservice delivery. Further, safeguards for data privacy, consent and AI accountability are ensured by compliance to various policies and guidelines issued from time to time. These include: Ethical guidelines for Application of Artificial Intelligence in Biomedical Research and Healthcare by ICMR which ensures that AI is developed, validated, deployed, and monitored in a manner that protects patients, promotes public trust, and supports responsible innovation; India AI Governance guidelines by MeitY which provides for a framework for the safe, trusted, inclusive, and responsible development, deployment, and use of AI; Strategy for AI in Healthcare, which provides for a framework to enablethe safe, ethical, evidence-based, responsible and inclusive adoption of AI across India’s healthcare system; Information Technology Act 2000 which governs electronic transactions and digital governance; andInformation Security Policy for Healthcare by the Department of Health andFamily Welfare which provides for a comprehensive framework to protect healthcare information systems andsensitive patientdata from cyberthreats. In addition, the Health Technology Assessment India (HTAIn), an attached office of the Department of Health Research (DHR), Ministry of Health and FamilyWelfare (MoHFW), evaluates emerging AI and Digital Health Technologies (DHTs) for their safety, clinical effectiveness, value, and scalability. Technologies with proven clinical effectiveness undergo a comprehensive Health Technology Assessment (HTA), generating evidence to support their cost-effective adoption and deployment in the public healthcare system. Further, Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) also regulates use of AI in health as medical device software under the Drug & Cosmetic Act of 1940andMedical Device Rules2017. *****