Not Sci-Fi, But Smart: India's Hospital Revolution Is Rooted in Reality, Say Experts

Time of India

2 days ago

New Delhi: The term smart hospital often conjures up sci-fi imagery—robotic nurses, AI diagnoses, and error-free systems. But in India's complex healthcare landscape, the reality is far more layered.
As the country steadily embraces digital transformation, the idea of the smart hospital is gaining prominence. Yet beyond buzzwords and sleek technology, what truly defines a smart hospital in the Indian context?
At ETHealthworld's inaugural edition FutureMedX Summit, industry leaders took a hard look at what it really takes to build intelligent, tech-enabled hospitals in India—not as envisioned in glossy demos, but as implemented in overburdened ICUs, rural clinics, and tier-two cities.
Smart hospitals
, it turns out, are not about science fiction—they're about solving real problems in real time.
In a compelling panel discussion titled 'The Rise of Smart Hospitals: Creating a Digital Health Ecosystem,' experts examined the evolving definition of smart care, patient-centric applications, and the practical challenges of implementing digital health solutions that are intelligent, compassionate, and scalable.
The panel featured
Viji Varghese
, Hospital Director at Manipal Hospital Delhi; Rajiv
Sikka
, Group CIO of Medanta Hospitals; Dr.
Narin Sehgal
, Finance Secretary of CAHO and Secretary of AHPI, Delhi State, as well as Medical Director of Sehgal Neo Hospital; Kunal Aggarwal, Founder and Managing Director of Easy Solution Infosystems Pvt. Ltd; and
Miraj Shah
, Manager at eClinicalWorks India.
The panelists discussed how connected ICUs, conversational AI, modular tech adoption, and patient-centric workflows are being practically implemented across different healthcare settings.
They emphasized that India's smart hospital journey isn't about leaping into the future—it's about building it step by step, with empathy, interoperability, and measurable impact.
Opening the conversation,
Varghese
noted that a smart hospital is not merely a collection of technologies. Instead, it is about how technology is used to ensure access to information for both providers and patients, so that better decisions can be made and better health outcomes achieved.
Rather than being dazzled by devices and dashboards, she stressed the purposeful use of technology—enabling clinicians to deliver more accurate care and empowering patients to participate meaningfully in their own health journeys.
Sikka emphasized that technology is essential for maintaining consistency across a growing network of hospitals. His definition of a smart hospital revolves around delivering predictable, standardized, and sustainable experiences for all stakeholders—patients, doctors, nurses, and support staff.
Sixteen years ago, Medanta was a single hospital. Today, with six locations, he said it became clear that the patient and doctor experience could not scale without technology. For them, technology has become the great equalizer.
He introduced Medanta's 'Triple A' principle—any device, anywhere, anytime—as the foundation of its connected care model. ICU doctors, for instance, no longer need to call junior residents for updates.
They can view live bedside monitor readings, ventilator stats, and infusion pump data from handheld devices, allowing real-time decision-making.
Sikka also offered an aspirational but achievable vision of reimagining the patient journey—from parking to post-discharge. He asked why patients should wait for hours in the admission lobby, when they could complete pre-admission formalities like
KYC
and insurance at home.
A hospital, he said, should function like a hotel—walk in, check in, and begin care. Once a patient is admitted, the hospital system sends real-time notifications to the designated doctor, nursing unit, housekeeping, F&B, and other departments.
With clearly defined turnaround times for vital checks and doctor rounds, the entire process becomes seamless and system-driven. On the post-discharge front, Medanta has developed procedure-specific follow-up pathways.
Whether it's a stent placement or orthopedic surgery, patients receive milestone-based reminders and coordinated care through CRM systems, ensuring continuity and reducing readmission risks.
Dr. Narin Sehgal brought a deeply human touch to the discussion. While acknowledging the power of technology, he reminded the audience that the real hero of the hospital is the patient.
Everything must revolve around them, he said, and technology must never make patients feel threatened. He recalled how patients often express fear and vulnerability before entering the operation theatre, which underlines the need for empathy, communication, and trust—elements that must be built into the design of a smart hospital.
Technology is evolving so rapidly, he noted, that even clinicians struggle to keep up. Smartness isn't just about automation, it's about assurance. For him, smart hospitals begin with safety, simplicity, and purpose. He also emphasized the importance of modular, ROI-friendly solutions that are accessible even to smaller hospitals.
Kunal Aggarwal echoed the sentiment that technology should never replace people but should instead enable them—whether they're clinicians, back-office staff, or patients.
From clinical decision support systems to multilingual videos that ease pre-operative anxiety, he highlighted the need for tech that functions as a supportive partner. Miraj Shah added that the best digital solutions are those that remain invisible yet impactful. Care delivery, he stressed, must always remain front and center.
Sikka reinforced these views with examples of transformative technologies already in use at Medanta. ICU monitors, ventilators, and infusion pumps generate over 20,000 data points per patient per day, enabling comprehensive, real-time monitoring.
In imaging, AI tools screen chest X-rays for tuberculosis and lung nodules as part of India's largest CSR-led TB-free program. In outpatient departments, conversational AI transcribes doctor-patient interactions into structured prescriptions in real time, saving clinician time and reducing waitlists. Looking ahead, Sikka predicted that the future of healthcare input will be voice—and perhaps, eventually, neural signals.
Varghese noted that smart hospitals represent more of a cultural shift than a technological one. Earlier, she said, healthcare was top-down. Now, technology is empowering patients to become active participants in their care.
This shift in mindset must extend to both clinicians and administrators. However, she cautioned that despite India's progress in digital health, challenges such as infrastructure costs, skill gaps, and a lack of tailored health information systems (HIS) for smaller hospitals remain significant hurdles.
Shah emphasized the importance of partnerships and interoperability, stating that smart hospitals cannot function in silos. They must connect with primary care, startups, public health networks, and national digital platforms like the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM). Aggarwal pointed to scalable innovations such as Aravind Eye Care's tele-ophthalmology model, while Sehgal stressed the need for open APIs and modular systems to avoid vendor lock-ins and enable inclusive growth.
Sikka shared that Medanta's AI-powered command centers are already optimizing discharge workflows, medication logistics, and interdepartmental referrals in real time.
As for digital twins, he explained that while patient-centric models are still a distant goal due to the lack of long-term electronic medical record data, operational digital twins are already being piloted to manage peak-hour radiology traffic and predictive equipment maintenance.
So, what will truly drive India's smart hospital journey? The panelists agreed: smart hospitals are not built on technology stacks alone—they are built on trust, interoperability, informed patients, and collaborative partnerships. India may not yet have universal EMRs or patient digital twins, but with open minds, open APIs, and a people-first approach, the future of Indian healthcare is undeniably smarter.