India’s Apollo Hospitals is increasing its investment in artificial intelligence (AI) to reduce the workload of its doctors and nurses by automating routine tasks such as medical documentation. According to Joint Managing Director Sangita Reddy, the hospital plans to free up two to three hours daily for doctors and nurses through AI interventions. Apollo is using AI to analyze patient electronic medical records, suggesting diagnoses, tests, and treatments, and transcribing doctor’s observations, among other tasks.
Apollo Hospitals, with over 10,000 beds, is one of the largest hospital networks in the country. The hospital is also expanding its bed capacity by one-third over the next four years, with a portion of the revenue dedicated to AI adoption. The hospital hopes AI will help manage workloads and improve efficiency as nurse attrition is expected to rise from 25% to 30% by 2025.
Other Indian hospitals, such as Fortis Healthcare, Tata Memorial, Manipal Hospitals, Narayna Health, Max Healthcare, and Aster DM Healthcare, have also invested in AI-powered tools. However, challenges such as high technology costs, diverse data sources, and limited electronic medical records remain barriers to accelerating AI adoption, says Deloitte India partner Joydeep Ghosh.
In another AI-related development, Apollo Proton Cancer Centre (APCC) has launched Asia’s first AI-based music therapy for cancer patients, in collaboration with DigiNxtHlt. The therapy uses AI to create a personalized soundscape for patients undergoing chemotherapy. The music therapy is designed to provide a soothing environment for cancer patients, and has been approved by the Apollo Ethics Committee and the Clinical Trials Registry.