Published Mar 08, 2026 | 5:43 PM ⚊ Updated Mar 08, 2026 | 5:43 PM
Cough screening for TB patient. (Supplied)
Synopsis: Andhra Pradesh is piloting AI-powered diagnostic tools across 18 government hospitals to improve early disease detection. Innovations include cough-based TB screening, smartphone cataract imaging, and non-invasive anaemia testing. Officials say faster, portable diagnostics can strengthen primary healthcare, reduce delays, and expand access, with results guiding wider integration into the state’s public health system.
A woman sits on the steps outside a Primary Health Centre in Chagallu and coughs into a mobile phone as health workers watch closely. The phone is not recording a call. Instead, it is analysing the sound of her cough through an an AI tool designed to detect patterns linked to tuberculosis.
Scenes like this are quietly emerging across several government hospitals and health centres in Andhra Pradesh, where the state has begun piloting a range of AI-powered diagnostic tools aimed at strengthening disease detection at the primary healthcare level.
From cough-based TB screening in villages to smartphone-based cataract detection and non-invasive anaemia testing, the state health department is experimenting with portable diagnostic technologies that can help doctors and frontline health workers identify diseases earlier and faster.
According to the Andhra Pradesh Health Department, the pilot initiative involves 18 innovators deploying around 40 AI-enabled devices across 18 government hospitals and health facilities to conduct screening and confirmatory tests for multiple diseases.
“These innovations are expected to help doctors confirm diseases in less time and provide better treatment to patients,” the department said in a statement, adding that faster diagnosis can significantly improve the quality of healthcare services in public hospitals.
The programme is currently being implemented in hospitals and health centres including Visakhapatnam, Anantapur, Guntur, Kakinada GGH, Vijayawada Government Medical College, Parvathipuram and Tenali district hospital, among others.
The demonstration at Chagallu PHC shows how AI tools are beginning to enter routine community screening. The mobile application records cough sounds and analyses them using machine learning algorithms to identify patterns that may indicate tuberculosis.
Health department officials said the technology allows frontline workers to conduct rapid TB screening in community settings without immediately relying on laboratory diagnostics.
“AI-based tools are helping identify suspected TB cases at the first point of contact itself, allowing health workers to refer high-risk patients for confirmatory testing much earlier,” the department said.
Officials noted that tuberculosis detection often suffers from delays in testing and reporting, particularly in rural areas where diagnostic facilities may be limited. AI-assisted cough screening can help bridge that gap by identifying potential cases quickly and directing them to further investigation.
AI Based Cataract Screening at GGH Guntur. (Supplied)
Similar innovations are being tested for other diseases as well. At Government General Hospital (GGH) Guntur, doctors are using smartphone-based AI tools to screen patients for cataracts. The device captures images of the eye and uses artificial intelligence to detect early signs of lens opacity.
Health officials said the technology allows screening to be carried out even in facilities that do not have specialised ophthalmology equipment.
“AI-assisted imaging enables early detection of cataracts and helps identify patients who require referral for further evaluation or surgery,” the department said.
Meanwhile, at GGH Paderu, doctors are testing a non-invasive anaemia screening system that estimates haemoglobin levels using images captured by a smartphone camera.
The technology analyses images of the eye region using AI algorithms to estimate haemoglobin levels without drawing blood.
“Non-invasive haemoglobin estimation allows anaemia screening to be conducted quickly, especially in remote and tribal areas where laboratory facilities are limited,” the department said.
Officials said such technologies could significantly improve early identification of anaemia among women and children, who are among the most affected groups.
The pilot programme also includes several other AI-enabled tools designed to detect heart disease, neurological disorders in children, glaucoma, sickle cell anaemia and other conditions.
According to the health department, the initiative is part of a broader effort to introduce advanced technology into public healthcare services and improve diagnostic capacity across government hospitals.
The state invited applications from innovators across the country through the AP MedTech Innovation Challenge, which received 297 proposals from startups and technology developers.
After a three-stage evaluation process conducted by the Committee for Applied Technologies in Health (CATH), 18 innovations were selected for pilot implementation in government hospitals.
The committee includes experts from the fields of medicine, artificial intelligence and health technology, including representatives from institutions such as the Indian Institute of Science and the Indian Council of Medical Research.
Health officials said the pilot is aimed at assessing the accuracy, feasibility and scalability of these technologies before any decision is taken on wider deployment.
“The goal is to make quality diagnostic services available to more people in less time by using AI-based healthcare solutions,” the department said.
The initiative is being implemented with support from the Ratan Tata Innovation Hub, and officials said it aligns with the state government’s broader efforts to strengthen technology-driven healthcare services.
According to Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav, the state government has initiated these steps to bring “revolutionary changes in healthcare services using artificial intelligence.”
Officials said the pilot tests currently underway will soon be evaluated, following which a report will be submitted to the Chief Minister.
“The results of these pilot projects will help determine how AI-enabled diagnostic tools can be integrated into the public healthcare system on a larger scale,” the department said.
If scaled up, health officials believe the initiative could significantly change how diseases are detected in government hospitals and primary health centres by shifting early screening closer to communities and reducing dependence on centralised laboratories.
