AI Revolution in Health: Enhancing Care Without Replacing Human Touch

The India AI Impact Summit 2026 highlights AI's role in enhancing healthcare efficiency without replacing the physician-patient relationship. Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava emphasizes AI's potential in strengthening digital health systems, while Dr. Sunil Kumar Barnwal underscores the importance of data governance and interoperability in AI deployment.

At the India AI Impact Summit 2026, Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava presented the transformative role of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare, emphasizing its potential to alleviate workforce burdens while reinforcing the physician-patient relationship.

Srivastava highlighted the evolution of India's health ecosystem into a nationally interoperable digital platform. Key advancements include the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, which connects millions of health records, facilitating telemedicine via E-Sanjeevani.

Dr. Sunil Kumar Barnwal of the National Health Authority stressed AI's ability to enhance decision-making in healthcare and underscored the need for strong data governance. The summit aims to foster collaborations, with a keen eye on inclusive development.

(With inputs from agencies.)