Health Matters newsletter: Digital vitals: tech in health care

On the AI Impact Summit and new schemes unveiled, research that measures blood clotting time, social media and mental health, healthcare pricing, and more

All of last week, the biggest news in India, hogging the limelight, was the AI Impact Summit, held in New Delhi. While there were several reasons for why some people made news at the AI Summit, a few incidents stole the limelight from important subjects that will likely have an impact on the long-term future of the country. Among these, was the government’s launch of two schemes SAHI and BODH, Bindu Shajan Perappadan reported. As you may have guessed by now, these are digital, or e-health initiatives.  

While SAHI stands for Secure AI for Health Initiative, BODH stands for Benchmarking Open Data Platform for Health AI. Launching both at the Summit, Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda said AI does not operate in isolation, but thrives on strong digital infrastructure and high-quality data. He noted that the National Health Policy, 2017, envisaged the creation of a comprehensive digital health ecosystem that would be interoperable, inclusive, and scalable. 

He described SAHI as not merely a technology strategy, but a governance framework, policy compass, and national roadmap for the responsible use of AI in healthcare. Mr. Nadda said that SAHI would guide India in leveraging AI in an ethical, transparent, accountable, and people-centric manner. Additionally, collaboration between the government and academia has led to the development of BODH, which provides a structured mechanism to test and validate AI solutions before large-scale deployment.

At this juncture, when it is so easy to be carried away by the power of technology and the many things it can do, it is important to also factor in the crucial human element, says Abhay Shukla, in this article: People above platforms: AI in healthcare. He says, globally, the use of AI in health has shown some promise in specific domains such as image recognition in radiology, analytics to aid diagnosis in controlled environments, and workflow assistance. But systematic reviews repeatedly show that tools which apparently perform well in pilot settings, flounder in real-world contexts. AI is good at recognising and matching patterns, but healthcare is much more than pattern recognition — as it involves complex clinical and ethical judgements, social contextualisation of patients along with explanation and reassurance, and direct physical caring — all of which involve human relationships, not just algorithms.

It’s also time to talk about what basic physics can do for health care. I reported on a recent IIT-M research that led to patents for a technique to accurately measure blood clotting time. Blood begins to clot when it comes into contact with a foreign body, which is basically all the devices that are deployed in the human body, including stents, valves and joint implants. Clotting time or coagulation time is a critical input for the manufacture of these devices. IIT researchers say their current technique, rooted in optics, can predict the time, accurate to milliseconds. It might also be of use to the water purification sector, being able to detect impurities in water, with some minor tweaks. 

Staying on the tech line, Dr. Alok Kulkarni discusses How devices and social media are shaping new OCD impacts on young people in India. What obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) can look like in young people today: not just the classic handwashing and lock-checking, but also newer, technology-shaped rituals – re-reading, screenshotting, repeated online reassurance-seeking, compulsive checking of notifications, and relentless mental reviewing. Hit the link to read more. And for a podcast on the subject do check out Zubeda Hamid’s conversation: What does social media do to young brains?

And if you are thinking engineering lies outside of the body, here’s a sobering thought: the human body holds it all. Manjeera Gowravaram, in this article, talks about how proteins are being tweaked to be quantum sensors inside the body. Protein sensors are fundamentally different. Cells can produce them naturally once given the correct genetic instructions. The sensors can also be fused to other proteins, allowing researchers to position them at precise locations inside the cell.

The issue of non communicable or metabolic diseases is ever present, never too far below the surface. This week, on the Health Wrap video, we looked at what cardiac rehabilitation means and why it is important for patients who have had a cardiac event of some sort, or even those with a genetic load, to take a preventative approach to health. Dr. Priya Chockalingam of the Cardiac Wellness Institute says it has been slow to catch up in India, but now shows dramatic results for patients who are consistent and work out under the guidance of experts.

As we talk about the significance of guided movement, a recent study revealed that Physical inactivity behind 13 per cent of heart failure cases among diabetics in India; not something we did not suspect. Dr. Atul Surendra Prabhu traces back to a primordial state to explain Why the fight against paediatric heart disease starts before birth.

And if we are starting early, that’s the route to take even in dentistry, argues Dr. Sowjanya Gunukula. She says preventive dental checks for children even before trouble sets him will enable them to have a pleasant growing up phase, sans the fear of going to a dentist. Do read her piece, here. 

Since finances are very important in health care, we take a look this past week at some of the numbers behind what drive medical services. Selvam Jesiah writes about How opaque healthcare pricing burdens patients in India, while Devyanshi Bihani pivots with data to the ignored, but crucial issue of levying lower taxes on beedi: Lower beedi taxes are short-term gain but long-term pain.

Our explainers for the week are weighty and numerous; pick your choice of health topic to read:

If you are sleep deprived these days and are wondering What sleep deprivation does to your brain and body do read Athira Elssa Johnson’s piece.

Dr. Suhasini Inamdar, Dr. Prathap Chandra write on How prenatal infections shape newborn health.

Dr. C. Aravinda, as part of our All you need to know about series, focuses on central retinal vein occlusion, a condition that led to cricketer-politician Imran Khan losing nearly 85% of vision in his right eye. Also, if you remember the way bees descended on to a ground hosting a cricket match, stinging and killing an umpire and injuring players, here’s one on bee stings.

Dr. Prathima A. tells you all you need to know about Pelvic Inflammatory Disease.

Dr. Rathijit Mitra explains why it is important to preserve the mind while treating the brain, in the context of awake brain surgery. 

Dr. Hamza Shaikh warns that inordinate delays in going in for spine surgery can lead to permanent disability.

Dr. G. Manokaran describes the continuum of Lymphoedema care: from early detection to long-term management.

If you have a few extra moments, do also read: 

This profile of the NGO Sneha, the suicide prevention helpline, which turns 40: Helping people in distress for 40 years: NGO Sneha’s journey.

Divya Gandhi writes that as per a study India is among four nations driving most global pesticide toxicity.

The Hindu’s edit on the recent Supreme Court guidelines On the front-of-package labelling for packaged food products.

Nadda launches indigenous tetanus and adult diphtheria (Td) vaccine at CRI, Kasauli

Central experts visit Haryana’s Palwal following mysterious deaths and illness

Good news from a study: India’s first childhood cancer survivor registry suggests 94.5% overall survival rate

For many more health stories, head to our health page and subscribe to the health newsletter here.

Published – February 24, 2026 02:11 pm IST