HealthNews
IICT scientists create indigenous technology to reduce dialysis costs; 20k patients will benefit.
Hyderabad – In a major breakthrough in kidney care, Indian Institute of Chemical Technology scientists have developed indigenous technologies which can reduce the cost of treatment and increase access, especially to smaller and rural health centres. In pilot studies, these technologies have already helped nearly 20,000 people.
The innovations concentrate on haemodialyser water filters and high-purity systems, both of which are significant contributors to the treatment costs. Scientists say that these technologies can reduce the cost of consumables by up to 70%. This will make dialysis much more affordable to patients with chronic renal disease. The first breakthrough is the development of ultra thin hollow fibre membranes that are used in haemodialysers which act as artificial kidneys, filtering toxins out of the blood.
India relies heavily on imported filters in the past, which has led to a significant increase in treatment costs. A senior IICT scientist said that the hollow fibre membranes were produced with a novel design, and they meet global standards of performance at a fractional cost. The second innovation addresses high-purity drinking water as a requirement for safe dialysis. Researchers at IICT have developed reverse osmosis and nanofiltration membrane systems to remove contaminants from the kidney, while maintaining efficiency.
“Dialysis requires large amounts of ultrure distilled water. “Our system is not only reliable and safe, but it also reduces the water and electricity usage,” said the scientist. These technologies were tested in Kamareddy, Marredpally and other private dialysis centers. They showed promising results on real patients.
“The systems have consistently performed, and we’re now in the transfer process to private service providers so that they can be adopted by a larger number of patients,” said another scientist. He also said that the innovations could be crucial in India’s efforts to reduce its dependence on imported devices and increase access to dialysis treatment. The scientist stated that IICT technologies will enable dialysis centers in remote areas to provide high-quality services, with costs reduced and efficiency increased.
Published r 22, 2026 07:19 AM IST
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Healthcare startup Preventify raised Rs 2 crore through a funding round led PedalStart. The capital raised by Preventify will be used to build its first cluster of clinics. The capital raised will be used to expand Preventify’s programmes for chronic and lifestyle disease management, and improve its technology, diagnosis, and pharmacy integration. Preventify, a Kerala-based company, operates three clinics currently in the city. It is at the intersection of technology, diagnostics and long-term engagement with patients. It provides affordable, evidence-based, standardised preventive and chronic health care in Tier-2 cities and Tier-3 cities of India. Preventify will expand its clinic network throughout Kerala in the next 12-18 month. A statement from the company said that it would invest in nurses, clinicians with experience, care coordinators, central medical teams and experienced nurses.
Published on February 10, 2026 06:02 am IST.
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Agentic AI is a powerful force multiplier in overstretched healthcare systems. Venky Aananth, Vice President, Global Head of Healthcare, Infosys in an exclusive interview with ETHealthworld described agentic artificial intelligence as a move from passive analytics to proactive actions–an evolutionary shift he considers crucial for improving the access to care on a large scale.
Agentic AI, for a nontechnical audience refers systems that are able to act autonomously while staying within certain boundaries. They collect information, perform tasks and coordinate actions on behalf of human beings. Agentic AI can do more than just analyze data. They can also schedule pointments, remind people about their medications, escalate cases, and initiate follow-ups. Ananth noted that “Agentic AI acts as force multiplier for systems overstretched.” It enables communities to receive care that is not available, affordable, or geogrhically isolated. To tackle these issues, Infosys has integrated agentic workflows in platforms like Infosys Topaz Fabric, which is used for rid AI agent creation, Infosys Helix, for core administration and Wingspan, for upskilling the workforce, as well as its Responsible AI Toolkit, for governance and safety. Ananth stated that the initiatives are intended to simplify navigation, expand reach and support early interventions. We focus on solutions that will help patients get care faster and reduce the delays caused by administrative complications.
Bridging Gs for Underserved Communities.
When resources are limited, coordination gs may be just as harmful as infrastructure gs. Ananth thinks agentic AI is a clear advantage in this area.
“Traditional AI analyzes data. He said that agentic AI acts upon it. “This cability is critical when resources are scarce and jobs are left unfinished.”
AI agents can, for instance, identify high-risk patients and initiate preventive outreach to them in their local languages. They can also guide them along the digital triage process and ensure they are followed up. Importantly, these systems follow rules defined by clinicians. They escalate cases when human intervention is needed. This combination of initiative, supervision and control makes agentic AI better able to bridge access gs than passive prediction models alone”, he said.
Digital triage, population outreach, automation prior authorizations and chronic disease management are among the most promising plications. The health systems that use agentic workflows report faster care navigation as well as more consistent patient engagement. This is especially true in rural areas and communities with low income. Ananth: “These solutions enable a shift from reactive to proactive care.” The AI is not replacing doctors or nurses. Ananth made it clear that AI agents are there to support clinical decision making, not to replace it. Infosys integrates “human in the loop” controls that ensure clinicians can validate all actions. He added that AI also flags uncertain situations instead of guessing. “The principle of AI is very simple: the clinician decides, and AI assists.” Adoption depends, however, on the workforce’s readiness. Ananth stated that “simulation-based practices help clinicians integrate AI in daily routines with confidence.” “The goal for AI is that it feels like a trustworthy teammate, and not a disruptive interruption.”
Safety Measures Against Bias Infosys’ systems incorporate bias-detection tools, diverse datasets for training, and continuous monitoring of performance. Ananth explained that design principles included inclusive personas as well as multilingual accessibility and careful evaluation of the social determinants. Agentic systems are intended to escalate cases that have ambiguous answers for human review, rather than make uncertain decisions. Ananth is unambiguous on the issue of accountability: “Accountability always remains with the healthcare organization, the licensed professionals who oversee care, and the governance structures which ensure that all AI recommendations can be reviewed.” Ananth said: “Technology is helpful, but the responsibility for clinical and organizational outcomes cannot be delegated by AI.”
From Periodic to Continuous Care. AI agents can help health systems shift from episodic to proactive care by integrating data from wearables and imaging devices, lab reports, electronic health records, and social determinants. Ananth stated that “our goal is to deliver high-quality health care to every community regardless of income or geogrhy.” If agentic artificial intelligence is successful, not only will it optimize healthcare operations but also change the way care is delivered. It could make access more inclusive, anticipatory and equitable.
Published on February 11, 2026 04:43 PM, IST.
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Official: Govt wants to make AI resources available to medical school students.
New Delhi – According to an official from the Health Ministry in New Delhi, the first phase will include around 57 smaller medical colleges and rural areas. B Srinivas, the Deputy Director-General (Medical Education), said that it is difficult for students in medical colleges located in remote areas to get access to e books and other technical materials. This includes AI material. Srinivas explained that “the government is considering the use of AI in order to reach out to students in remote areas… In the National Medical Library, we have begun the process of securing e-books, digital clinical material and we are currently doing this in proximately 57 government medical college across the country.” He said that the government wants to gradually scale up this initiative.
“We will include private medical colleges in the future. He said that because the budget comes from the government, they are focusing on only the government institutions. It is easy to build campuses and infrastructure, but it takes time to develop the knowledge base, said Mr. Ayad. The panelists focused their discussion on the ways in which responsible AI can promote health equity. They discussed how it could improve access to trusted medical information, clinical decision-support, and workforce cacities. Speakers discussed the importance of bringing together industry leaders, policymakers and healthcare professionals to focus on transparency, trust and governance. The panel discussed how AI systems that are evidence-based and explainable can be used safely and at large scales to improve health outcomes and strengthen healthcare systems, especially in emerging and resource-constrained environments.
Published on Feb 16, 2026, at 3:49 PM (IST)
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Manipal Health purchases land and hospital in Mumbais Andheri at Rs 495 Crore
Mumbai – Temasek, TPG, and hospital operator Manipal Health Enterprises have acquired a property in Mumbai’s west suburb of Andheri, for Rs 495 Crore, in one of the largest healthcare real estate deals in the country this year.
This transaction involves a 0.19-acre land parcel and an operational hospital spread over a built up area of proximately 2.22 lakh square feet in Andheri East. This second phase of the transaction brings the overall deal’s value up to Rs 908 cr.
Manipal had previously sold the primary hospital parcel, which covered a large part of the 2,62-acre land, as well as the main hospital, in a transaction that was registered in 2024. The company paid Rs 413 billion.
This property was purchased from a group of sellers that included Khubchandani Hospitals and Investment, Perfect Realty and Khubchandani Properties and Investment. Documents accessed by CRE Matrix – a real estate data platform – showed that the second tranche of the transaction, which was concluded on 6 May, had attracted a payment of Rs 29,22 crore in stamp duty. The transaction shows the desire of large healthcare providers to secure strategic hospital assets within key urban centres. This is particularly true in Mumbai, where large, operational healthcare facilities are scarce, despite a growing need for tertiary-care infrastructure. The healthcare and hospital real estate market has grown in recent years, as hospital chains have sought to increase their presence within high-density metropolises through acquisitions or long-term growth strategies. Manipal Health Enterprises Pvt Ltd (formerly Manipal Health Enterprises) has been expanding across major Indian Cities through a mixture of acquisitions as well as brownfield expansions. They have also scaled up their existing facilities.
Manipal Hospitals has expanded its national footprint after acquiring AMRI Hospitals and Medica, two of India’s biggest healthcare providers. The combined network operates 37 hospitals in 19 cities, with more than 10,000 beds and serves over 7,000,000 patients per year. The email sent by ET to Manipal Health Enterprises on
was not answered. Mumbai is a growing market for healthcare operators due to an increase in demand for specialised healthcare facilities, medical tourism, and integrated healthcare campus. In addition, the city has seen a rise in investor interest for healthcare-linked assets. This is due to stable occupancy levels as well as long-term prospects of growth for organized hospital operators. The latest acquisition comes on the heels of several large-value healthcare and institutional property transactions in Mumbai that were recorded over the past 12 months, reflecting a sustained demand across sectors for operational assets despite high property values.
Published on May 13, 2026, at 8:31 AM (IST)
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Qure.ai unveils a report mapping AI implementation across Indias public health system
Published On February 16, 2026 At 04:49 PM IST.
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