AIG’s Dr. Nageshwar Reddy stresses the need for India-specific data to improve AI accuracy in diagnostics and patient care
Hyderabad: The healthcare sector is harnessing the potential of artificial intelligence to improve efficiency in diagnostics, therapeutics, and hospital administration. However, the biggest challenge to the adoption of AI in India is the reliance on Western data, which often lacks quality and local relevance, said Dr D. Nageshwar Reddy, chairman of the Asian Institute of Gastroenterology (AIG).
Speaking on leveraging the capabilities of artificial intelligence for accessible, quality healthcare at BioAsia 2025 on Tuesday, Dr Nageshwar Reddy said: “AI is used in diagnostics, therapeutics, and hospital efficiency.”
He said in diagnostics, AIG Hospitals had the GI Genius system integrated into endoscopes, which enhanced polyp detection by over 50 per cent and reduced the risk of missing cancerous lesions. “AI also plays a major role in identifying early-stage pancreatic cancer that might otherwise go unnoticed in imaging,” Dr Nageshwar Reddy said.
“In the therapeutic domain, AI is incorporated into operating theatres to assist with real-time decision-making. If, during surgery, there is a blood vessel I might not see but AI detects it, it can alert me to avoid it and take an alternative approach,”
“Thirdly, AI helps improve hospital efficiency through systems like 'ISave,' which predicts cardiac arrest by monitoring patients' vital signs. Then there is 'PRISM,' an AI-driven natural language processing system that helps with the documentation process, allowing doctors to focus more on patient care," Dr Nageshwar Reddy said.
Stating that the biggest challenge to AI adoption was the reliance on Western data, which often lacks quality and local relevance, Dr Nageswar Reddy said, "This can introduce biases and inaccuracies, which are problematic in healthcare.
“There is also a trust issue among doctors and health staff, who are wary of AI’s reliability, especially when even a single mistake could have catastrophic consequences,” he explained. “Educating healthcare professionals on the benefits of AI is crucial, as is reassuring them that AI will not replace doctors but will enhance their capabilities."
Explaining how his organisation deployed AI, Dr Ken Washington, chief technology and innovation officer at Medtronic, said: “We are embedding AI in medical devices, such as the GI Genius for colonoscopies, which significantly improves the detection of potentially cancerous polyps, and the Link device, an AI-powered cardiac monitor that reduces false positives. However, data is the fuel that AI runs on. Ensuring correct data is important."
Dr Shyam Bishen, head of the centre for health and healthcare and a member of the executive committee at the World Economic Forum, highlighted the significant challenge of achieving universal health coverage (UHC) by 2030, especially given that over 4.5 billion people lack access to quality healthcare.
"The key issue lies in the imbalance between constrained healthcare supply and unconstrained demand, particularly in low- and middle-income countries," he mentioned.
Dr Bishen emphasised the potential of AI in addressing this challenge by improving access and by offering cost-effective solutions, such as telemedicine and decentralised clinical trials.
Dr Olga Kubassova, president of the UK-based Image Analysis Group (IAG), explained the use of AI in the field of medical imaging. "AI is frequently used to analyse images like MRIs or CT scans, identifying conditions such as tumours. Our company developed a platform called Dynamica, which helps connect imaging AI with other technologies, such as those used in gastroenterology, to create a more complete picture of a patient’s health," she mentioned.
