Latest news with #AlmoosaHealthGroup
Mint
7 days ago
- Health
- Mint
Mint Primer: Dr AI is here, but will the human touch go away?
Shanghai-based company Synyi AI recently unveiled a fully artificial intelligence (AI)-run clinic in Saudi Arabia. While AI excels at diagnosis, it lacks human empathy and nuanced judgement. Is the future of healthcare hybrid or autonomous? And can we trust AI docs? Just how do these AI clinics function? Synyi AI works with hospitals in China, using AI for diagnosis and medical research. Its new clinic, built with Saudi Arabia's Almoosa Health Group as a pilot, is led by an AI 'doctor". Christened Dr Hua, it independently conducts consultations, diagnoses, and suggests treatments via a tablet. A human doctor then reviews and approves each plan. This marks a shift from AI as a support tool to primary care providers. The AI doctor covers about 30 respiratory illnesses, including asthma and pharyngitis. Synyi plans to expand its scope to 50 conditions including gastrointestinal and dermatological problems. Read more: Mint Primer: A robot for every 3 humans: What happens to us? From assistant to doc seems like a jump... Not really. AI systems already assist with checking symptoms, asking routine questions, and prioritizing patients before doctors take over. They can interpret scans and flag critical results. Hospitals in South Korea, China, India and the UAE use AI to manage logistics, bed-use and infection control. In May 2024, Tsinghua University went a step further when it introduced a virtual 'Agent Hospital" with large language model (LLM)-powered doctors. Months later, Bauhinia Zhikang launched 42 AI doctors across 21 departments for internal testing of their diagnostics. With Synyi AI, fully autonomous clinics may become commonplace. What can AI doctors do that humans can't? AI tools from Google, Microsoft, Meta, Amazon and Nvidia can analyze X-rays, medical records and large datasets with precision and speed. They also generate treatment summaries. Unlike humans, AI doctors don't get tired. They can handle up to 10,000 patients a week, compared with around 100 by a typical human doctor—valuable in overburdened health systems. Can AI replace human doctors entirely? AI excels at repetitive, data-heavy tasks like diagnosing common illnesses, analyzing scans and flagging abnormalities. Surgical robots like Da Vinci are used in hospitals worldwide, including Apollo, AIIMS and Fortis in India. But AI lacks empathy, moral reasoning, and adaptability in complex or unclear cases. Even at Synyi's AI-run clinic, a human doctor must approve each decision. Over-promising, too, can be risky. Babylon Health collapsed after its claims of diagnosing better than doctors fell short. Read more: AI application startups in India set to get more investments from VC firms Accel, Peak XV, Lightspeed Can AI in healthcare be trusted? There is a need for supervision given growing use in Asia—from surgical robots in South Korea, China, Japan and India to home-care AI research in Singapore. But regulation is catching up: Europe's AI Act, the US FDA and the World Health Organisation (WHO) all emphasize transparency, safety, and ethics, especially as LLMs can hallucinate (provide false answers confidently) and show bias. India's medical ethics code requires doctors to disclose AI use to patients. Keeping human doctors in the loop remains key for trust.
CairoScene
18-05-2025
- Health
- CairoScene
World's First AI Doctor Clinic Opens in Al-Ahsa
Patients at Almoosa Health Group's pilot clinic are now met first by an AI doctor, named 'Dr Hua', with human physicians supervising final diagnoses and treatment plans. Saudi Arabia has launched what is being described as the world's first artificial intelligence-led doctor clinic in the eastern region of Al-Ahsa. The facility, opened by Almoosa Health Group in partnership with Chinese firm Synyi AI, marks a global first in using AI as the primary point of care—while maintaining human medical oversight for safety. At the clinic, patients consult an AI doctor named 'Dr Hua' via tablet interface. The system uses a combination of voice recognition, medical imaging, and interactive questioning to assess symptoms and suggest diagnoses. Human assistants are present throughout the consultation to guide patients and collect supporting data. The AI system currently covers 30 respiratory conditions, such as asthma and pharyngitis, and developers plan to expand its diagnostic range to 50 diseases, including those affecting the digestive and dermatological systems. Treatment plans generated by the AI are reviewed and approved by a licensed physician before any action is taken. According to Synyi AI, pre-trial testing showed an error margin of 0.3%. The system uses large language models that have been adapted to Arabic and local medical terminology to better serve the region's patients. Human doctors remain on-site to verify results and respond to medical emergencies.
NDTV
17-05-2025
- Health
- NDTV
World's First AI Doctor Clinic Opens In Saudi Arabia
The world's first clinic where patients will be diagnosed using artificial intelligence (AI) has opened in Saudi Arabia. A China-based medical technology company called Synyi AI has partnered with Almoosa Health Group for the trial programme, which began last month in the eastern province of Al-Ahsa, according to a report in Leaders magazine. The clinic aims to replace human doctors as the first point of contact for diagnosing and treating patients. However, humans are still involved in the system as "safety gatekeepers". "AI Clinic is an innovative medical service system where AI doctors independently complete the full-chain medical operations from inquiry to prescription, with human doctors acting as "safety gatekeepers" to review the diagnosis and treatment results," the Shanghai-based company said in a statement. How does the AI clinic work? After patients arrive at the clinic, they describe their symptoms using a tablet computer to an AI "doctor" called "Dr Hua". Akin to a real doctor, the AI variant follows up with more questions and analyses data and images taken with the help of human assistants. Once the consultation is over, Dr Hua provides a treatment plan, which is signed off by a human doctor after a thorough review. Human doctors remain available for emergencies that AI cannot handle. Currently, the AI doctor is limited to providing consultation about respiratory illness, covering about 30 diseases such as asthma and pharyngitis. Synyi AI is aiming to expand the doctor's database to cover 50 respiratory, gastroenterological, and dermatological diseases. The pilot programme's diagnostic data will be submitted to Saudi authorities with approval expected within 18 months. As per Synyi AI, the technology had an error rate of 0.3 per cent during a testing phase, prior to the ongoing trial. "What AI has done in the past is to assist doctors, but now we are taking the final step of the journey to let AI diagnose and treat the patients directly," said Synyi AI CEO Zhang Shaodian. The company, backed by Tencent, Hongshan Capital, GGV Capital and local government, claims to use localised large language models (LLMs) for the AI models, which is customised with region-specific medical language, local languages and cultural nuances.
Leaders
16-05-2025
- Health
- Leaders
Saudi Arabia Revolutionizes Healthcare with First AI Doctor Clinic
A Chinese startup has launched the world's first AI-powered clinic in Saudi Arabia, revolutionizing how patients receive medical care. Synyi AI, a Shanghai-based medical technology company, partnered with Almoosa Health Group to introduce this innovative trial program in Al-Ahsa. The clinic aims to replace human doctors as the first point of contact for diagnosing and treating patients. Patients visiting the clinic interact with an AI doctor named 'Dr. Hua' through a tablet, describing their symptoms in detail. The AI follows up with specific questions and analyzes medical data, such as X-rays and cardiograms, with assistance from human staff. After the consultation, Dr. Hua provides a treatment plan, which a human doctor reviews and approves. Human doctors remain available for emergencies that AI cannot handle. Promising Results and Future Expansion During initial testing, the AI system demonstrated an error rate of less than 0.3%, showcasing its potential for accurate diagnoses. So far, dozens of patients have used the service free of charge, with human doctors supervising the process. Synyi AI plans to expand the clinic's capabilities to cover 50 diseases, including respiratory, gastroenterological, and dermatological conditions, within the next year. The pilot program is generating diagnostic data for submission to Saudi authorities, with commercial approval expected within 18 months. However, some medical professionals remain skeptical about AI replacing human doctors. Ngiam Kee Yuan, a senior consultant at Singapore's National University Hospital, expressed doubts about AI reaching the level of primary practitioners anytime soon. AI in the Middle East: A Growing Trend Synyi AI is part of a broader wave of Chinese health-tech companies entering the Middle East to refine their technologies. Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical Group recently partnered with Saudi Arabia's Fakeeh Care Group to advance tele-diagnostics and gene therapy. Similarly, XtalPi Holdings is establishing a robotics lab in the UAE to further AI-driven medical research. Experts emphasize the need for strict oversight to ensure safety and public trust in medical AI. Dylan Attard, CEO of MedTech World, highlighted the importance of balancing thorough regulation with adaptability to avoid stifling innovation. Synyi AI's CEO, Zhang Shaodian, believes AI can significantly reduce healthcare costs, especially in regions where medical services are expensive or scarce. He envisions AI increasing efficiency tenfold, particularly in remote areas lacking medical staff. With Saudi Arabia as its first overseas market, Synyi AI is paving the way for a new era in global healthcare. Short link : Post Views: 11
Bloomberg
16-05-2025
- Health
- Bloomberg
Chinese Startup Trials First AI Doctor Clinic in Saudi Arabia
A Chinese startup has opened the world's first clinic in Saudi Arabia where artificial intelligence diagnoses patients, a key step in replacing human doctors as the first line of medical treatment. Synyi AI, a Shanghai-based medical technology company, launched the trial program in Saudi Arabia's eastern Al-Ahsa region in April in collaboration with the country's Almoosa Health Group. The pilot will see a virtual AI doctor making diagnoses and prescriptions to patients on its own, through interactions similar to dealing with a human doctor.
