Community health centers, or puskesmas, in Indonesia’s West Java province, south of the capital Jakarta, will leverage generative AI to boost their capacity to address critical health issues.
Sumedang District recently partnered with Singapore’s doctor network platform Docquity develops and launches genAI powered virtual assistant called TehAI.
HOW IT WORKS
TehAI is said to have an intuitive and easy-to-use conversational interface that community health workers can use to tap into genAI-driven information. It draws information from a vast knowledge base, including scientific journals, the World Health Organization’s archives, the Indonesian Ministry of Health’s database, and Sumedang government data sources.
WHY IT MATTERS
Based on the press release, the initial use of the genAI platform will focus on improving the knowledge of puskesmas staff in diagnosing and treating tuberculosis, rickets, and hypertension, which are the top health problems identified in Sumedang district. (District is a second-level administrative unit in Indonesia, under the province..)
In recent years, tuberculosis in Indonesia has been on the rise; from an estimated 800,000 in 2020, cases rose to over a million in 2023 with recorded deaths of around 130,000 – the second highest in the world that year after India.
Meanwhile, Indonesia is working to achieve its target of reducing the rate of child malnutrition to 14% this year from 21% in 2022, higher than the Asian average.
High blood pressure, a major health risk in the country, affects one in three people and has claimed the lives of more than 400,000.
THE BIGGER TREND
West Java province plans to expand the implementation of TehAI to other districts after the pilot implementation in Sumedang.
“The success of this initiative will pave the way for replication to other districts in West Java, improving health outcomes across the province,” said Dr. Herman Suryatman, Provincial Secretary-General.
The adoption of emerging technologies like genAI at Indonesia’s puskesmas contributes to larger efforts to digitize rural health. This includes Mandatory electronic medical records (EMR) and proposed implementation of satellite internet connectivity.
Sumedang’s genAI platform project also marks Docquity’s first public sector partnership. In addition to this project, Docquity is also working with the government on a program to ensure patients adhere to prescribed medication schedules, appointments, and lifestyle activities.
