New healthcare divide: Which countries are winning race to deploy AI in public health? Experts weigh in
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "New healthcare divide: Which countries are winning race to deploy AI in public health? Experts weigh in")
Representative image. Photograph: (Magnific)
The experts said the real way to determine success for healthcare AI must be effective care predictive, proactive, and precise for the patient at the very bottom of the socioeconomic ladder, rather than the sophistication of the technology.
AI is increasingly becoming a defining force in the future technology including public healthcare, with countries at the global level competing to integrate it into national health systems of the respective nations. While the Unites States, China, Singapore and the United Kingdom have taken an early lead by investing in AI-enabled healthcare to make it more accessible, particularly for underserved populations, while bolstering digital health systems that improve prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
Debjit Patra, Founder and Chairman of MediElaj, stated that the success of AI in public health should be measured by its ability to bridge healthcare inequalities rather than by technological sophistication alone.
"The global race to deploy AI in public health isn't just a race for technology. It is a race for equity. The real winners aren't the nations with the most complex, isolated algorithms. They are the ones using AI to dismantle healthcare's oldest barrier, geography. As I have always believed, technology alone cannot drive the adoption of healthcare; trust and behaviour are the actual drivers. That is why the future belongs to nations embedding digital intelligence directly into grassroots, physical public health infrastructure. Look at India’s journey as a prime example. By treating digital connectivity as vital clinical infrastructure, the country is executing a massive behavioural shift. Through large-scale teleconsultation frameworks and digital health missions, AI-driven diagnostics and multi-modal data analytics are moving past the pilot phase," Patra said.
He emphasised that the real way to determine success for healthcare AI must be effective care predictive, proactive, and precise for the patient at the very bottom of the socioeconomic ladder, rather than the sophistication of the technology.
"Instead of waiting for episodic, reactive interventions, we are finally enabling continuous, proactive health monitoring for populations long left invisible by traditional systems. The true measure of success for healthcare AI shouldn't be the sophistication of the technology itself. It must be how effectively it makes care predictive, proactive, and precise for the patient at the very bottom of the socioeconomic ladder. Nations that design their AI strategies around a blend of digital intelligence and physical presence for the patient with the least access, not the most, are the ones setting the true global standard," Patra added.
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AI's role in strong digital foundations
Reacting to the same topic, Alok Katiyar, Co-Founder of WeClinic Homoeopathy, said countries leading AI adoption in healthcare have built strong digital foundations that allow the technology to be integrated into routine clinical practice.
"The leading nations in deploying AI in public health today are the United States, China, Singapore, and the United Kingdom. What sets them apart is not only their investment in AI but also their ability to integrate it into healthcare systems through digitised patient records, connected digital infrastructure, and large patient datasets. India is one of the most interesting countries to watch in this global race. Initiatives such as the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, combined with the world's largest population, make it a compelling case study for the deployment of AI in public health," Alok Katiyar said.
"For instance, homoeopathy has always relied on detailed case histories, long-term follow-ups, and understanding patterns across a patient's health journey. As clinics become increasingly digitised, AI can help analyse large volumes of patient data, identify trends, and support better clinical decision-making. The countries that will lead this race will be those that use AI to make healthcare more accessible, more informed, and more human," he added.
