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India’s healthcare challenge is often discussed through numbers of more hospitals, more beds, and more doctors. But the real issue is not only shortage. It is distance, said Dr Harilal Bhaskar, COO and national coordinator of I-STEM, under the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India.
For many Indians, healthcare is defined by the gap between symptoms and treatment, between local clinics and specialists, and between seeking care and actually receiving it. Patients begin treatment at nearby Primary Health Centres (PHCs) that may lack advanced diagnostic capability, specialist support, or treatment confidence. As a result, patients are repeatedly referred from one facility to another until they finally reach a hospital equipped to manage the case. By then, valuable time has often been lost.
“Our healthcare system does not collapse dramatically. It weakens through delays, fragmented access, and repeated referrals. The challenge is not only the availability of hospitals, but the ability of care to reach people early and locally,” he added.
Over the years, India has invested in advanced hospitals, specialist services, and diagnostics have expanded rapidly, especially in urban centres. However, the healthcare system remains uneven. While tertiary hospitals continue to strengthen, the first point of care often remains limited in capability and support. This imbalance creates continuous pressure on higher-level hospitals. Patients travel long distances even for conditions that could have been managed earlier at the local level. Over time, preventive healthcare suffers, delays increase, and tertiary facilities become overcrowded, Dr Harilal told Pharmabiz in an email.
“The first point of care should not function in isolation. The PHCs need stronger clinical support, better coordination, and the ability to manage more cases locally. A healthcare system becomes effective only when every layer is connected,” he pointed out.
Healthcare leaders now see an opportunity to bridge this gap through AI-supported clinical systems connected to centralized expert networks. While doctors are available at many PHCs, access to specialists remains limited, particularly in rural and remote regions. Here basic diagnostic equipment such as ECG machines, digital imaging systems, and essential screening tools should become standard infrastructure. AI-enabled systems can assist frontline doctors in interpreting ECGs, scans, and other medical reports in real time, while simultaneously connecting them to centralized specialist networks for expert review. This can significantly improve early diagnosis and reduce unnecessary delays, he said.
Under such a model, the goal is not to replace doctors, but to strengthen frontline healthcare workers with faster guidance and specialist support. Such systems can reduce not only geographical distance, but also the clinical distance between frontline centres and specialist expertise. Ultimately, India does not only need more healthcare infrastructure. It needs healthcare that reaches people before distance decides the outcome, said Dr Harilal.
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