How UP is leveraging AI to transform public healthcare

Ujjwal KumarUttar Pradesh has made significant strides in strengthening healthcare infrastructure and service delivery in recent years.
From the expansion of hospital networks to improved rural outreach through digital health platforms, the state has steadily addressed its complex and diverse public health challenges.Building on this progress, Uttar Pradesh is now leveraging Artificial Intelligence across key sectors to drive targeted innovation in public healthcare, in alignment with the national vision under the India AI Mission.With an outlay of over Rs 10,300 crore , the India AI Mission emphasizes sovereign AI capabilities, robust data infrastructure, and deployment of AI in priority sectors such as healthcare. This national framework provides a strong foundation for states to enhance patient outcomes, improve operational efficiency, and address region-specific health challenges.Aligned with this vision, Uttar Pradesh is emerging as a significant driver of AI adoption in public healthcare. Serving a population of over 240 million, the state's scale and diversity present both unique challenges and transformative opportunities.By embedding AI into healthcare delivery systems, UP is strengthening access, efficiency, and quality of care particularly in underserved and remote regions while contributing to India's evolving framework for AI-enabled governance.A landmark step is the establishment of India's first govt hospital-based AI Clinic at the Government Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS), Greater Noida. Operating under the GIMS Centre for Medical Innovation, the clinic enables AI startups and innovators to pilot and validate solutions in real-world clinical settings. The focus is on improving diagnostic accuracy and reducing turnaround times through AI-assisted analysis of radiology, pathology, and laboratory data.With public health facilities in the state collectively handling over a crore outpatient visits annually, such initiatives demonstrate how AI can democratize access to advanced diagnostics in resource-constrained environments.Telemedicine has emerged as another critical pillar of UP's AI-led health strategy. Through a memorandum of understanding with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur , the department of medical health and family welfare is advancing AI-integrated telehealth services, including telemedicine hubs, point-of-care diagnostics, and population health analytics.These initiatives support thousands of teleconsultations every month in rural districts, helping reduce diagnostic variability and extend specialist care to remote populations. Complementing this effort, the state is developing a digital AYUSH platform in collaboration with IIT-K, enabling online OPD services for traditional systems of medicine and improving transparency, accessibility, and patient experience.The Uttar Pradesh Medical Supplies Corporation Limited (UPMSCL) is central to this ecosystem, ensuring efficient procurement and distribution through technology-enabled platforms.Its e-procurement system manages tenders for drugs, equipment, and supplies across 75 districts, with annual procurements surpassing Rs 2,000 crore. Using data analytics, it forecasts demand, minimizes stockouts, and optimizes logistics for over 30,000 facilities, achieving a 15% reduction in timelines.UPMSCL is incorporating AI for predictive inventory management, drawing on the India AI Mission's data labs to enhance supply chain resilience against disruptions like pandemics.Preventive healthcare is another area where AI is delivering measurable benefits. Institutions such as SGPGIMS, Lucknow, are exploring advanced AI applications in oncology, cardiology, and radiology, including early disease detection and imaging analytics.Statewide, AI-enabled disease surveillance systems under the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme aggregate data from hundreds of reporting units, enabling early identification of outbreaks and faster public health responses, especially critical in flood- and disaster-prone regions.To sustain advancements, UP is investing in capacity building. The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) offers a free six-month online course on AI in medical education, accessible to doctors statewide.Covering clinical applications, ethics, and patient safety, without needing programming skills, it aligns with the India AI Mission's target to skill one million in AI by 2028. The state's AgriStack and HealthStack initiatives further integrate AI for personalized advisories, linking with the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission for unified records serving 15 crore beneficiaries.UP's AI-enabled healthcare transformation represents a bold leap toward a future where technology empowers every citizen with equitable and efficient care. As a frontrunner, UP is not just aligning with but actively shaping India's national AI agenda, forging a path to tech-driven health resilience that saves lives and builds a healthier nation. The upcoming India AI Impact Summit 2026, from Feb 16-20, will highlight these achievements, igniting collaborations to extend health equity nationwide and inspire global models of innovation.(Writer is an IAS officer serving as managing director of UP Medical Supplies Corporation Ltd)