The Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS), in collaboration with AIIMS’ Dr. Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences (RPC) and the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare’s eHealth AI Unit, has recently launched India’s first Artificial Intelligence-driven community screening programme for Diabetic Retinopathy (DR). Inaugurated at Army Hospital (Research & Referral), New Delhi, the initiative aims to strengthen early detection of diabetic eye disease and build real-time health intelligence.

The programme is anchored by MadhuNetrAI, a web-based AI platform developed by RPC, AIIMS, which enables automated screening, grading and triaging of retinal images captured through handheld fundus cameras. The system allows trained medical officers and healthcare staff to conduct community-level screening while generating real-time data on disease prevalence and geographic patterns to support evidence-based planning.

Under the pilot phase, AFMS will roll out the programme across seven locations, including Pune, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Dharamshala, Gaya, Jorhat and Kochi, covering diverse geographic settings. Identified patients will be referred for appropriate diabetic care, while vision-threatening cases will be directed to vitreo-retina specialists at designated district hospitals. Designed as a scalable model, the initiative demonstrates effective integration of AI-enabled solutions into India’s public health system.