Scaling Health in India: Digital Systems, AI, and Human-Centric Care (Sabine Kapasi)

In this episode of Faces of Digital Health, host Tjasa Zajc speaks with Dr. Sabine Kapasi, a physician, UN strategist, and founder of a Enira Consulting focused on bridging policy, tech, and clinical practice.

The discussion explores the evolving landscape of healthcare in India, touching on digital transformation, rural access challenges, innovative diagnostics, and the role of AI. India’s large population, digital payment infrastructure, and widespread smartphone adoption are unique assets in transforming care delivery. However, gaps in infrastructure, rural clinician availability, and systemic fragmentation remain hurdles. Dr. Sabine emphasizes the importance of human-centered care, especially in the context of AI adoption.

Topics covered:

Current Public Health Challenges in India

Rise in infectious diseases during monsoon

Double burden of NCDs and communicable diseases

Vaccination Success

Polio eradication and near-universal childhood vaccination

Demographics & Governance

Young population

Strong centralized governance aiding digital health

Digital Infrastructure

UPI adoption

Smartphone saturation in rural and urban areas

Healthcare Delivery Landscape

High access to medications but low access to diagnostics

Urban-rural doctor imbalance

Role of frontline workers

Role of Technology

AI in CDSS

Mobile diagnostic kits

Digital ID (ABHA) and EHR integration

Telemedicine and eSanjeevani platform

Barriers to Digitization

Over 10,000 HIS vendors

Lack of mandated digital infrastructure

Provider reluctance due to tax implications and informal payments

Innovation in Diagnostics

Liquid biopsy alternatives for early cancer detection

Scalable, low-cost rapid tests suited for Indian climate

The Human Element

Importance of human touch in healthcare

Health as a community-driven concept

Future Opportunities

GenAI in clinical training and diagnostics

Insurance as a digital health accelerator

Localization of clinical trials and precision medicine