{
  "id": 2596497,
  "title": "Human-centred AI can expand healthcare access, aid drug discovery: Union Minister",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/22/human-centred-ai-can-expand-healthcare-access-aid-drug-discovery",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-08-22T14:48:51.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Indian Express",
    "slug": "the-indian-express",
    "url": "https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/ahmedabad/human-centred-ai-healthcare-access-drug-discovery-union-minister-10845212/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "India's Union Minister of State for Health, Anupriya Patel, delivered a keynote address at the IIMA Healthcare Summit 2026, emphasizing the potential of AI to expand healthcare access and aid drug discovery. Patel highlighted India's numerous challenges, including its large and diverse population and the geographical complexities that often limit healthcare access. She stressed that AI could be a force multiplier to overcome these challenges and achieve health equity, but stressed that AI should be adopted responsibly, enhancing patient care outcomes and improving access to services in underserved or distant areas.\n\nThe minister outlined the government's aspirations for AI in healthcare and pharmaceuticals, acknowledging the challenges faced by India. She called for collaboration between academia and industry to develop scalable solutions that could be implemented nationwide. Patel emphasized that AI should remain safe, responsible, and human-centered, ensuring privacy and preserving human accountability in healthcare. She stressed the importance of moving from pilot projects to population-level implementation, using benchmarking to ensure the safety and effectiveness of AI solutions.\n\nPatel also discussed AI's role in drug discovery, stating that India aims to move beyond the label of \"pharmacy of the world\" and become the \"laboratory of the world.\" She explained that AI could help identify complex connections within the human body and process vast amounts of data to discover patterns that could aid researchers, scientists, and doctors. In the context of India's genetically diverse population, Patel highlighted the need for personalized treatments and smarter tools to understand emerging diseases.\n\nTo strengthen research and innovation in the pharma-medtech sector, the government launched the PRIP (Pharma-Research and Innovative Products) scheme, allocating Rs5,000 crore for the initiative. The scheme aims to connect educational institutions with the industry, encouraging innovation-led growth in the sector. Patel also announced the launch of the India Pharma Archives, chronicling the evolution of the Indian pharmaceutical industry, and the book \"From Labs to Jabs,\" focusing on India's COVID-19 vaccine development. The summit brought together officials from the Government of India and featured Pankaj Patel of Zydus Lifesciences, Chairperson of the IIMA Board of Governors.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}