BHUBANESWAR : The Odisha government has decided to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) in healthcare to tackle long-standing concerns over maternal mortality ratio (MMR) and infant mortality rate (IMR) in the state.
According to sources, the Health and Family Welfare department will use AI-powered diagnostic devices to monitor the health of pregnant women. The entire process from conception to delivery will be monitored through the device.
The device has already cleared the trials. It is designed to monitor the physical and mental development of the foetus from the embryonic stage, helping healthcare providers detect and address complications at the earliest.
A health official said an order for procurement of more kits has been placed after the initial trials.
“Odisha has come a long way in reducing maternal and child mortality. But there is cause for concern about the situation in some districts. The AI-based kit will keep a track on the health of both mother and the foetus,” he said.
The AI-powered foetal monitoring system enables early detection of foetal distress, ensuring timely medical intervention and reducing complications. A frontline health worker can perform an AI-assisted foetal screening on the spot and receive real-time insights, enabling immediate action and remote consultation with specialists.
Health and Family Welfare minister Mukesh Mahaling said the kit will allow realtime monitoring of pregnancies and enable early detection of abnormalities or risks. “This AI-based monitoring system will be a major step forward in preventive maternal healthcare. Odisha has taken many initiatives to combat health-related complications using technology. We will be piloting this digital approach in Rayagada first to further reduce maternal and infant mortality. It will be replicated in other districts in phases,” he added.
Odisha has made considerable progress in reducing maternal and child mortality over the past two decades. According to the last national family health survey (NFHS-V), the state’s IMR has come down from 96 per 1,000 live births in 2000 to 36 in recent years. Similarly, the MMR has also seen a marked decline from 367 in 1998 to 119 per one lakh live births.
ASHAs and field level healthcare workers will be provided smartphones and specialised training to operate the devices, collect data, and feed it into a centralised software system. This digitised information will then be analysed using AI algorithms to generate personalised reports for each pregnant woman.