How AI is Filling India’s Rural Healthcare Gaps
In a country where 62.9% of the population lives in rural areas, the conversation around digital transformation is incomplete without addressing rural healthcare. With AI coming into the picture, health-tech startups are shifting focus from urban convenience to rural necessity. AIM got in touch with two such startups that are leveraging AI not to replace doctors, but to reach where doctors rarely go. When CureBay launched during the COVID-19 pandemic, it sidestepped the crowded urban telehealth market. Instead, its mission zeroed in on what founder and CEO Priyadarshi Mohapatra calls “emerging India”, the millions living in small towns and rural districts with limited access to quality healthcare. “Public infrastructure exists,” Mohapatra explained to AIM, “but the biggest problem is the absence of doctors at the last mile.” According to health ministry data, nearly 8% of primary health centres (PHCs) in India have no doctors, 38% lack lab technicians, and 22% have no pharmacists. The crisis deepens in states like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, where absenteeism touches 67% in some regions. In this vacuum, villagers often rely on local medicine sellers, typically untrained individuals who double up as informal doctors. “Nine out of ten times, the medicine given is an antibiotic,” said Mohapatra, which highlights the misuse of drugs and the growing community that is antibiotic-resistant in rural India. For example, a study in rural Sikkim revealed that 92% of E. coli samples were resistant to ampicillin. Beyond the lack of professionals, the patient experience at district hospitals can be fraught with challenges. Many are intercepted by middlemen at bus stands or hospital gates by healthcare brokers, who misguide patients and profit off their vulnerability. To address this gap, CureBay created a hybrid care model that blends digital technology and human intervention. AI-powered eClinics, staffed by Swasthya Mitras, who are trained community health navigators. These centres allow patients to consult certified doctors via video, supported by IoT-enabled diagnostic tools and AI-based triage systems. CureBay uses artificial intelligence in three major ways: screening and diagnosis, patient navigation and backend system integration. AI and machine learning tools help with early detection, chronic care management and treatment adherence. The Swasthya Mitras act as a vital human interface, guiding patients through online consultations and ensuring follow-ups. Meanwhile, the company has developed a secure data platform that complies with the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) and allows for real-time health data analysis across its eClinic network. Currently operational across underserved districts in Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and Jharkhand, CureBay is beginning to see a real impact on the ground. Screening rates are rising, adherence to treatment has improved, and early signs show a decline in the indiscriminate use of antibiotics. Most importantly, patient trust is growing. “AI can do a lot,” said Mohapatra, “but trust is built locally, face-to-face.” Remidio is tackling an equally urgent and often overlooked issue: preventable vision loss in rural India. In a country where over 90% of glaucoma cases go undiagnosed, timely eye care in rural areas can mean the difference between sight and blindness. Remidio’s approach involves taking specialist-grade diagnostics out of urban hospitals and putting them into the hands of frontline health workers. Their flagship innovation is the Fundus on Phone (FOP NM-10), a handheld retinal imaging device that requires minimal training. It captures high-quality images without the need for pupil dilation, making it both comfortable for patients and easy to use. Frontline workers can screen for diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and age-related macular degeneration with a single tap. The AI that powers these devices is designed to run entirely offline, a critical feature in rural areas with unreliable internet connectivity. Remidio also scales through public health programs and mobile deployments. In states like Kerala, its  3-in-1 AI platform has been integrated into Nayanamritham 2.0, a government-led rural eye screening initiative. Frontline health workers use the FOP device to instantly classify patients and refer them to higher levels of care. Similar deployments are underway in Maharashtra’s semi-urban slums and via mobile vans in remote regions of Northeast India. These efforts bring diagnostic care directly to doorsteps in places that lack permanent medical infrastructure. The idea behind these portable devices stems from an acute awareness of India’s healthcare gaps. Traditional ophthalmic diagnostic equipment is expensive, bulky and housed in urban tertiary care centres. By making devices affordable, offline and easy to use, they’ve made early detection of vision-threatening diseases viable at the community level. The company’s AI tools also analyse retinal images to detect signs of systemic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney issues and even stroke, contributing to the early detection of non-communicable diseases that often go unnoticed in rural areas. To date, the FOP device has reached more than 16 million people, with significant uptake in rural and semi-urban populations. These devices can be integrated with electronic medical records and public health databases, enabling better tracking, reporting, and long-term health planning in even the most resource-constrained settings.
AI won’t replace doctors, but reach where doctors rarely go.
AI won’t replace doctors, but reach where doctors rarely go.
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Merin Susan John is a journalist at Analytics India Magazine, reporting on the intersection of AI and human capital. She can be reached  at merin.john@aimmediahouse.com