Vijayawada, April 24, 2026: Demonstrations of AI-driven medical technologies in government hospitals across the State are yielding encouraging results, the Department of Health, Medical Education and Family Welfare said on Thursday (April 23, 2026).
Between February and the end of March, the startups delivered services to 12,677 patients over 37 days. One startup screened 7,433 individuals and identified early-stage tuberculosis in about 15% to 25% of them. Another screened 1,200 people, recommended cataract surgery for 34 patients and detected glaucoma in 10 cases. Cervical cancer screening flagged suspected symptoms in 15 individuals, the department said.
In each category, the first, second and third prize winners will receive ₹5 lakh, ₹3 lakh and ₹2 lakh respectively. One top-performing startup will be awarded a work order worth ₹1 crore.
Encouraged by the initial results, the department is considering a phased expansion of the services to more government hospitals.
The Committee for Applied Technologies in Health (CATH) is evaluating the startups’ performance. Awards will be presented at a conference to be chaired by Health Minister Y. Satya Kumar Yadav.
